An Eye for an Eye makes the Whole World Blind
by Axisha
Summary: Draco is to blame for Percy's death and Ginny is out to kill whoever did it. But she doesn't know who did. Ginny all but falls in love with him so what happens when he confesses? An eye for an eye right?
1. Default Chapter

An Eye for an Eye makes the Whole World Blind  
Hello everybody this is my second fanfiction and the other one isn't even finished... anyways I hope you like this story please don't be too harsh.... I never said I was a fabulous writer... please review!  
  
NOTE: every other chapter is Ginny POV so Ginny will be from one, three, five, and so on. The evens will be Draco and just in case ill mention briefly whose P.O.V.'s it is before I start the chapter.  
  
SUMMERY: Draco is to blame for Percy's death and Ginny is out to kill whoever did it. But she doesn't know who did. Ginny all but falls in love with him, so what will happen when he confesses? An eye for an eye right?  
  
(Ginny)  
  
Chapter One: Every year  
  
"Christmas! EVERYBODY!!!! Wake up its Christmas!" I flung myself out of bed and down the stairs, around the corner, through the kitchen and into the living room. The tree was lit up with candles and muggle lights (compliments of dad) and all sorts of ornaments wreathed around it. But I wasn't very interested in that. The huge pile of presents was waiting for me. Actually it was waiting for me, Mum, Dad, Percy, Bill, Bill's latest flame, Charlie, Charlie's wife, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Harry's girlfriend, and Hermione, all of which I had to go screeching through the house to wake up.  
  
"Ginny!!! You are seventeen years old and it is four in the morning, you should be plenty old enough to wait until at least dawn!" I recognized the groggy voice of my mother.  
  
"I am the youngest! It is my job to wake up at the ass crack of dawn and scream Christmas! When someone has children, it can be their job!" I was sitting impatiently on the floor. Jeez, Fred and George usually join me at least! Well, then again I have no idea how late they went to bed last night...  
  
"Ginny! Watch your language!" Mum said.  
  
"Yeah, Ron you better get working on those kids! At least younger ones aren't so damned loud!" Fred and George, at least, were coming down the stairs, albeit slowly.  
  
"Shut up Fred!" Ron and Hermione chorused. Fred and George snickered quietly. Ron had proposed to Hermione last month and had suffered dearly for it because of the twins; they seemed to think it was hilarious.  
  
"FRED! Watch your language!"  
  
"AHHHH!!!!!" The whole house shook as someone came crashing down the stairs. A flash of maroon sweater narrowed it down to Ron.  
  
"Ron! Slow down!" Hermione walked down the stairs and into the living room, her eyes barely open.  
  
Thump! Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump CRASH!  
  
I looked over to see a pile of arms and legs, two heads of black hair and green and red pajamas.  
  
"Harry! Virida! Join the madness!" Virida is Harry's girlfriend of six months.  
  
"Ginny! For the eight millionth time! Call me Vi! Virida sounds like an old lady name!" Harry and herself picked each other up and straightened their robes.  
  
"I love the name Virida! It's fabulous!" She only glared at me with her black eyes. Virida was really, really short, she couldn't be any taller than 5' 1" and was from an all Portuguese family. She was fluent in Spanish and had met Harry in the huge fight against Voldemort last year. Harry had thought she was on his side and almost killed her...  
  
"Presents! WOOO!!! Brings back the good old Hogwarts days!" Harry came and sat down by me in front of the tree.  
  
"You only got out of Hogwarts last year. It wasn't that long ago dear." I laughed at him.  
  
Bill, Percy, mum, dad, and Charlie all walked down the stairs next, still groggy. They were shortly followed by Meg, Charlie's wife, and Bill's girlfriend Alana, who looked a little overwhelmed.  
  
"If there were any less presents under that tree I would kick your-" Bill smiled.  
  
"Bill! Watch your language!"  
  
"Anyways! Presents!" Presents were something to count on every year, we'd done it through the worst times, when Voldemort was in power and when money was tighter than ever. We'd done it on Christmas, after Christmas, sometimes before Christmas, whenever was best. We'd made them, bought them, found them, but they were always there, every year.  
  
As I looked around I suddenly realized I was practically the only one that was alone. Well, not alone per se but without someone, a boyfriend or husband of fiancée. Harry and Virida, Ron and Hermione, Bill and Alana, Charlie and Meg, Mum and Dad.... But then my stomach turned over when I thought of Percy. Penelope had been kidnapped by Death Eaters and as far as we could tell, she was dead. Which Percy refused to believe. He claimed that she was to strong and that they probably wanted her for a greater purpose anyways, so why would they kill her?  
  
Then again why would they kill anyone? The hate and killing were all mindless and pointless, with no direct target or mission. Sure Voldemort wanted to destroy all good in the world, right along with the muggle borns and traitors, but what then? The world would be nothing, and as far as I can see, even Voldemort wouldn't like it. No one can be that completely heartless and if he ever did get to his goal he'd look back and wonder why. I know we'll win. Since when does good not win?  
  
"Good morning Ginny. Did you eat sugar cubes this morning or something?" He smiled at me and i almost started to cry. Percy had been really depressed lately so I always loved it when he smiled.  
  
"You know it. Actually no, you know those things make me sick!" This was an ongoing joke; when I was four I ate a whole bunch of sugar cubes on Christmas morning and almost had an aneurism or something, I was so hyper. Finally mum had made me run twenty laps around the house and I giggled the whole way, only to come in and streak up and down the stairs until I collapsed.  
  
"I get to go first!" Fred flung himself at the pile and disappeared beneath the presents, returning a moment later with one very small box.  
  
"Awwww! From George! I'm touched!" Fred looked at the small square box and started laughing hysterically. "Are you going to propose to me?"  
  
George looked disgusted. "What do you think? Open the blasted box, you dolt!"  
  
Fred looked suspicious. He shrugged and ripped off the wrapping, and a huge black claw reached out and grabbed hold of his face. AHHHHH!!!!  
  
He screeched like a girl and ran screaming out of the room, the claw still trying to rip his head off.  
  
Mum glared at George.  
  
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Several hours later everyone was sitting down to a nice, and absolutely humongous breakfast. Platters of waffles, pancakes, sausages, bacon and eggs were all down the table and I was almost drooling from the smell. Everyone had cups of coffee and there was milk and orange juice too. I had a feeling we weren't going to have any trouble in finishing it though because there were, after all, fourteen of us.  
  
"So, have you guys set a date?" Harry leaned back in his chair and sighed, completely content.  
  
"No, but we were thinking in May possibly. I thought Mione here would have a fit and need at least three months more than that but she said that'd be fine." Ron had his arm around Hermione, who was smiling slightly.  
  
"That's fabulous dear! The weather will be just grand in May!" Mum looked like she was going to start crying or something so I decided to change the subject.  
  
"Have you two set a date?" I raised my eyebrows at Harry, and Virida who was leaning against Harry's shoulder with his arm around her. Harry glared at me. But there was the tiniest of sparkles in his eye so I knew he didn't really mind.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean? You psychopath." Virida just laughed even though she didn't get the full gist of what I was talking about. Hermione, Ron and myself are Harry's best friends, so he'd told us three days before Virida had gotten here that he planned on proposing to her, on Christmas if at all possible.  
  
"Just kidding, calm yourself." I put another waffle on my plate and a mushroom omelet.  
  
Bill was talking to Alana, who looked appalled. Charlie was talking to Meg and Percy, both of whom were laughing, and mum and dad were laughing about something.  
  
All was good. The rest of the day passed slowly, and I had a fabulous time talking to Harry and Ron who I hadn't seen since summer. Harry and Ron were in the middle of auror training and Hermione was a teacher at Hogwarts, so I got to see Hermione a lot.  
  
Finally, very late at night, after stuffing our faces once again at dinner laid down in my bed. I opened my book and started to write. I call my journal my book because journal and diary sounded stupid. Hey! I'm going to go write in my journal! No. Dumb. After I scribbled a few paragraphs I could barely keep my eyes open and I laid the book down on the floor next to my bed and fell asleep.  
  
"Ginny! Ginny! Wake up! Now! You have to get up!" Someone was shaking me.  
  
"Whaaa? Is still dark out! What's we gotta do?" The arms that belonged to the voice picked me up and set me down standing up.  
  
"Ginny! Wake up!" I could see it was Harry now and I immediately woke up. Harry looked panicked and if Harry looked panicked, there was something big to be panicked about. "Run! Run to the fire and go to Hogsmeade! Don't argue!" Harry rushed out of the room, and he burst into the hallway right behind Ron, who had just come barreling out of the room with Hermione.  
  
"Harry! Get Ginny! Where's Ginny!?" Ron screamed over the bangs and shouts of downstairs.  
  
"Got her! Keep going, she's going to go to Hogsmeade!" Ron nodded and I followed right behind them down the stairs, and to the fire. I got a pinch of floo powder and was about to throw it in the fire when I stopped. What was I doing? My whole family could be in the house, fighting something, probably Death Eaters, and I was about ready to escape to Hogsmeade? I didn't think so.  
  
I pulled out my wand and decided to establish what the threat was. I ran quietly to the door of the living room and slowly looked around the edge. Sure enough, three or four death eaters were in the room, fighting with Mum, Dad, Fred and Percy. I could here more in the kitchen, probably George and Charlie by the sound of it.  
  
I jumped out from behind the door and since the Death Eaters had their backs to me, they didn't have a chance. "Stupefy!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. One fell to the ground and I shot another spell at the one that was across from Percy, who shot a spell at the third one as he twirled around, trying to see who was cursing his men.  
  
"Ginny! What are you doing here? Harry said you were flooing to Hogsmeade!" Mom looked outraged and I rolled my eyes before beckoning them to follow me as I ran out the door.  
  
I went to the kitchen and could tell the Death Eaters were, once again, with their backs to me. BAMB! I kicked the door open and it hit a person, who smashed against the wall to my right. There were three more, against George, Charlie and Harry. Harry's eyes widened when he saw me and he almost missed the opportunity to curse the Death Eaters that had turned their backs on him.  
  
The house was very silent for a moment before there was a resounding bang from upstairs.  
  
"Ron and Hermione! And Virida and..." Harry stopped talking; he looked scared as he ran out of the room, all of us following him. I was the last one out the door and I took all the Death Eaters wands before following.  
  
The noise had stopped from upstairs and that worried me greatly, silence meant someone had won. I'm sure they're fine, I'm sure they're fine, I'm sure they're fine... I kept on telling myself that over and over as we ran through the house.  
  
We finally reached Mum and Dad's bedroom, where we could see movement and hear people talking quietly. Harry, Mum, Dad, Percy, Fred, George, Bill and Charlie walked into the room in a group, blocking me from sight completely.  
  
"Stop! Move and she dies!" I stood on my tiptoes and saw a black masked figure holding Hermione around the neck with his wand pointed at her head. I almost screamed but held it in. This was no time to lose it.  
  
Ron's eyes were wide and his wand was in shaking fists at his side. I knew he'd never been more scared in his life. I thought for a moment as everyone else silently looked on at the scene before them.  
  
Harry was eyeing Virida, who was in the corner nursing a bleeding arm. She was looking with fearful eyes towards Hermione. Meg and Alana were standing straight up, there arms stiff at their sides and their wands were swinging slightly, as if they couldn't decide whether or not to try and curse him.  
  
I backed up slightly, the Death Eater hadn't seen me yet and I figured it might help. I could still slightly see the room through the crack by the hinges and I noticed the Death Eater was standing in front of a window. An unlocked window. I backed up even more, making sure no one drew attention to me, this had to be unexpected.  
  
"What do you want us to do?" Harry looked slightly desperate but kept his cool.  
  
"Become Death Eaters! It' as simple as that and you can have all your loved ones back!" I snorted at the Death Eater's words. Like that'd ever happen.  
  
Back down the stairs, through the entry hall and out the door. I gasped. It was freezing! I wrapped my arms around myself and hauled ass around the house, stopping when I was under the window to Mum and Dad's room.  
  
"Wingardium Leviosa!" I had never tried the spell on a human, let alone myself so I prayed to God it would work, if it didn't, I had just ditched my family and friends, especially Hermione. I didn't have much time to dwell on those thoughts though; I was three feet off the ground and slowly rising. I flicked my wand a tiny bit and I rose a foot or so. I did this until my head was level with the bottom of the window. If I just popped up, everyone's eyes would go to me and the Death Eater would know something was behind him.  
  
I slowly inched my way up to about halfway up the window. Harry hadn't noticed me, he was still talking earnestly with the Death Eater, but Meg and Alana were looking at me like I was crazy. I motioned for them not to move then I unlocked the window with alhomora. I knew this window squeaked so I tried to cast a silencing charm over it, even though my silencing charms rarely worked.  
  
I braced myself, grabbed the window and ripped it open. I let a huge breath, the silencing charm had worked! But by now everybody in the room was aware of my presence except the Death Eater and Hermione. Harry had even glanced up and looked amazed but had quickly gone back to talking with the Death Eater.  
  
I climbed in the window, stood right behind the Death Eater and screamed stupefy. He fell to the ground and Hermione twirled around, trying to see who had just done that. As far as she knew, everyone was behind the door.  
  
"Ginny! Thank you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Hermione grabbed me and almost squeezed the life out of me.  
  
"Hermione... Hermione! I can't breathe!" I laughed.  
  
Ron had silent tears running down his face as he flung himself across the room and onto Hermione. Bill, Charlie and Harry did almost the same to Alana, Meg and Virida. Mum was holding onto Dad weakly, it looked like she might faint any second, either because she was so relieved or so scared, I couldn't tell. Percy gave dad a weak hug, a small smile on his face, like the whole scene had happened a little to fast for him and he was still amazed.  
  
"Ginny! What were you thinking!?" Percy scolded but he was grinning, I knew he was proud of me. My legs were shaking and I realized just how scared I had been. That could have gone a lot worse.  
  
"WOOO WOO!!!" Alana whooped and punched the air like a corny sports victory.  
  
"Whoa, won't some of the Death Eaters wake up? We don't want to have to fight them all over again!" Bill walked towards the door but I stopped him.  
  
"I took the wands away from the ones in the Kitchen, but I don't know about the ones in the living room.  
  
"I cast a different spell over the ones in the living room; they won't wake up for days, maybe even weeks." Hermione smiled and gave Ron another huge hug.  
  
An hour or so later, a dozen aurors were crawling all over the house and the Death Eaters had been taken away to Azkaban until they could hold a trial.  
  
It was eight the next morning before I finally got to go back to sleep and I didn't even hit the pillow before my eyes closed and I was all but gone.  
  
"Malfoy? What are you doing here?" I was in a dark room, leaning against a wall, with Draco Malfoy across from me of all people.  
  
"What are you doing here?" He looked like he had just woken up, his eyes were squinting and he looked just as confused as I felt.  
  
"Oh no", he said, "It's my father; he's got us down here! Shit!!! Shit, shit, shit!" His face became even paler than normal.  
  
I stared at him... "What do you mean your fathers got you down here? Why would he lock you down here?"  
  
He looked at me like I was nuts. "You think my father cares? My father hates me after-"  
  
And then.... I wasn't in the room anymore. A dream! That's what it was, a dream. I leaned back on my bed and let out a gasp of air.  
  
Malfoy had changed, I'll be the first one to admit it but the possibility of him not taking the route the rest of his family had? Highly unlikely. Even if he wasn't excited about it or didn't particularly want to do it, he'd be more interested in self-preservation which meant he had no choice but to become a Death Eater.  
  
I had no doubt in my mind that Voldemort would kill him, but his father? Would his father do that to his son? I thought of Barty Crouch Jr., oh yes, that might just be how it is. The Dark Lord was merciless I knew that but I guess I'd never really thought of how heartless he could make his followers.  
  
I looked out the window for the first time that morning... or night actually. It was either still dark out or I'd slept for a really long time; but I felt well rested so I figured I'd slept the day away.  
  
The summer before we had magically attached a small balcony to my room, so I could open a door and sit out on it whenever I wanted. I loved it and I spent about as much time out there as I did in my main room. The stars were amazingly bright, like they always were. Not like the huge muggle cities that had so much pollution and 'electricity' or whatever it was called to see hardly any of them.  
  
I sighed. I had a week left of Christmas holidays and I didn't really want to go back to school. I knew I'd miss school when I left but I didn't like very many people in my year, except for a couple close friends. I was sitting on the edge of the balcony, with my feet hanging off the other side. My mum hated it when I did this so I usually didn't when she was around. I looked down and I could see a few aurors milling about, their wands drawn.  
  
There was a tiny breeze blowing by me, and I started to notice tiny snowflakes landing on me and melting. I rubbed my shoulders with my hands and went inside, thinking about Malfoy and the Dark Lord again until I fell asleep. If I had any more dreams I didn't remember them.  
  
~*~  
  
well I hoped you like it, and I also hope I get the next chapter up soon, which I probably will because this story is somehow coming much easier than the other one I have going. I WILL LOVE YOU FOREVER IF YOU REVIEW! But if you flame me pointlessly I'll get all tai kwan doe on your ass! Just suggest things, you don't have to yell at me or anything... Luv y'all!!!!! Review!!!! And come back and read more!!!!! WOOOOO 


	2. Small Wonders

An Eye for an Eye Makes the Whole World Blind Hey everybody here is chapter two! Woooooo Note: if I owned Harry Potter I truly do not think that I would hang around and write fan fiction.... But that's just me. Okay I know that Draco would probably never be like this but I like to tell myself that everyone is nice, so I don't want any complains about out of characterization. Or anything like that. Well anyways enjoy the happy- about-ready-to-hum-in-the-streets Draco.  
  
(Draco)  
  
Chapter Two:  
  
"Draco! Come in here right now!" I hit my head against the wall several times before getting up and following my father's voice to his office. Or rather, his private office where all the 'dark activities' were planned. He had another office for his Ministry duties.  
  
"Yes father?" I leaned against the doorway and looked at the man in front of me. I could faintly remember a time when I looked up to him, when he was the kind of dad that would pick me up and put me over his shoulders and play air plane with me. We went to toy stores and spent hours playing with them, until we bought one or two just to appease the store owner. We laughed together and when the house elves would call us to dinner, he'd pick me up and run me into the dining room, where he'd hug my mother and set me down in a chair. But that was a long time ago.  
  
"I will tell you when I am ready! You disgrace me with your impatience!" He glared at me with his cold, empty eyes.  
  
I knew I wasn't supposed to say anything so I kept silent and watched what he was doing. I leaned onto the other side of the door so I could see the parchment more clearly.  
  
It had a picture of a tall house with loads of rooms that must be held on my magic, one which had a small balcony and there were little pens of chickens right passed the garden on the back of the house. I looked at before a dawning realization came over me. This must be the Weasley's house! I knew the Death Eaters were planning an attack on the Weasley's but was it happening right now? Only a few days before Christmas?  
  
"Yes, this is the Weasley's house and no, the attack is on Christmas." My father didn't know me in the way he used to but he sure did know me well.  
  
"Oh. Just wondering." I felt genuinely bad for the Weasley's and I hoped my father's cronies didn't hurt any of them. I made an attempt to bring back the past a little bit, something I did often. "What are we doing for Christmas?"  
  
"For Christmas?" He looked at me for a moment like I was trying to trick him. "Oh! Well I suppose you and your mother and sister will open presents." He went back to his work and I could tell the conversation was over, even though I didn't really see the point of it in the first place except to rub in the fact that his family meant nothing to him.  
  
My older sister Cerise had left when she was 16, and when I was 9. So 9 years ago, half my life time. I turned eighteen on November 17th, and Hogwarts had ended in June. My father had paid almost no attention when my sister had left, and still talked as if she was here, something which bothered me and my mother greatly.  
  
I was sitting in my room again packing a small bag. I was moving into a small flat in Hogsmeade, and my dad had almost had an aneurism when I had told him. After ranting about how I disgraced the family, and casting the Crucio spell on me several times he decided it would be good for someone from our family to be more out in the world, especially around Hogwarts where Dumbledore still taught.  
  
I wanted to leave as soon as possible, but the one thing that bothered me was I was leaving my mother. She was still almost the same as she was way back in the day when our family was halfway normal, and got picked on constantly by my horrid father. I shook my head, she wanted me to leave and I could always come back if I thought something was going to happen.  
  
It was incredibly weird that I wasn't going back to Hogwarts like I had ever year for the past seven years. I wouldn't have Potter and Weasley close by to fight with, which wasn't really that bad, as I never even really disliked them that much anyways. I disliked them by reputation only, on command and opinion of my father. My father did though so therefore, I was expected to dislike them. I'd have to find a job. Well in all honesty I didn't actually have to find a job, the family fortune was plenty for a long time but I wasn't about to sit around my whole life and do nothing.  
  
A funny thought came to my head; I could qualify for auror training! I had gotten almost as good as grades as Granger, except I had never done well in Divination, it was pointless. But you didn't need divination to be an auror, and I had taken all the N.E.W.T. classes required for training. I pushed the thought away; my father would kill me if I ever entered auror training. Get a job that stands against everything the Dark Lord stands for? No, I tended to value my life.  
  
I could probably find a teaching job, but Dumbledore probably wouldn't trust me. I guess one of my only options for now was something at the Ministry or at a store of some kind, probably in Diagon Alley.  
  
"Draco! Come here!" Maybe my father had remembered what the original point of the conversation was.  
  
I walked back to the Dark Arts office and stood in the doorway once again. I decided not to speak until he told me to.  
  
"You may sit down." He motioned towards a small loveseat in front of his desk that was black suede. Oh no. The black couch. Father only ever told me to sit on the black couch when he was going to curse me, or tell me something that was incredibly important. I sat down anyways; not obeying would only make it worse. "You are now eighteen, Draco, and I think it is time for you to take the final vow as a Death Eater."  
  
I stared at him. I didn't know what to think. I had been sort of expecting this since fourth year, but hadn't really imagined it ever happening. Me? A Death Eater? I'd become accustomed to being surrounded by them, but I'd never actually thought about myself being one. Now that I really thought about it, I had no desire to kill anybody. Muggle borns were people too, after all and I didn't have anything against any of the people my dad was after. Sure, I thought Dumbledore was pretty crazy but I didn't want to kill him!  
  
But somehow I didn't think mentioning any of that to my father was good for my health... "Um.... Why now?"  
  
"Because you're of age, and aren't stuck in school anymore. You can come with us on raids, and get information to us." He was glaring at me, like he knew I didn't really want to be one. And I didn't. I wasn't to looking forward to getting an ugly tattoo on my arm that would bind me to some guy that barely had a body and was out to kill people he'd never even met before.  
  
"Oh... um, okay. When will this happen?" My stomach dropped when Lucius smiled. This wasn't going to be good.  
  
"Next month on the 27th, at Tom Riddle's gravestone at midnight." He already had an exact date? Whoa he must be pretty serious about this; I didn't see how I could get out of it. I didn't know what to say so I just stood there, dumbfounded.  
  
"I see. Well, I'm giving you until the 20th to answer me, and we all know what answer I had better get. Leave now and know that the Dark Lord doesn't take traitors lightly."  
  
I walked out. Shit! I didn't know what to do oh no oh no oh no!!! Okay, I have barely a month to figure out the course I'm going to take through the rest of my life, what side I was on... whoa. Another funny thought just came to my head. Most people would think it weird that I'd never thought about it before but when you grow up with a father like mine, it just never comes up. Anyways, I could just as easily decide to be against Voldemort. I could contact Dumbledore, and tell him my situation; he'd probably help me, he helped Snape when Snape hadn't wanted to be a Death Eater any more.  
  
That's what I'll do! I was determined to owl him as soon as I got to my flat!  
  
~*~  
  
Two hours later I was just finishing unpacking my bag.  
  
I looked around my small but somehow comforting apartment. It had almost no personal effect what so ever except the table, some food in the kitchen and the clothes in the dresser in the main bedroom (there were two).  
  
I sighed. I decided to go to Diagon Alley and get some new robes and possible look for a job, I couldn't wear my Hogwarts robes normally, plus they were too small and worn out. I walked out of the apartment, down the stairs (I lived on the second floor), and out the front gate. This is where the aparation block ended. A moment later I was in the middle of the Leaky Cauldron, surrounded by clouds of smoke and the smell of beer.  
  
I walked through the crowds of people and into the back alley. I tapped the brick and the way melted away into a graceful stone archway, leading into the bustling streets of Diagon Alley.  
  
I had always loved Diagon Alley because I could almost always disappear into the crowds, no would normally notice me, even that damned scary stalker, Pansy Parkinson. I shivered. What a tramp.  
  
The first store I went to was a small specialty robes store, where I started searching the racks for something for work. Or the work I hoped to have soon. There were blues and blacks and reds and greens and silvers and golds and pinks and oranges, but I kept to the blues and blacks mainly. And some of the green ones were reasonable.  
  
I finally decided on a black satin one, a blue cotton feeling one and a black one that was almost the same as our Hogwarts robes, minus the crest and house colored scarf. For some reason I was an exceptionally good mood and by the time I had purchased my robes and walked out the door, I was almost humming. Almost. Humming didn't fit me, someone would probably hear me and lock me up for possessing Malfoy.  
  
I had little time to think about this though, for I ran into something short with fiery red hair. The woman looked up at me and I knew who it was immediately.  
  
"Weasley." Whoa! I didn't mean to say it like that! Is that how I'd sounded to them for seven years? She glared at me. Evidently.  
  
"Malfoy. Excuse me." She was still glaring at me as she walked by and I opened my mouth to say something.  
  
"Weasley-" I didn't even get past her name.  
  
"No, Malfoy! I'm not going to put up with this shit! I leave Hogwarts where you were an ass hole then I come here and there you are! Just leave me alone!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"No! Enough! I'm not inferior to you, you don't scare me and just... I don't want to ever talk to you again!" She stormed off and quickly disappeared into the crowds. I just stood there. Wow. I knew I deserved that, actually I knew I deserved a lot more than that but it still kinda hurt. The only reason I'd ever been a prat to them was because my father believed Potter shouldn't have blown me off like he did in first year and the Weasley's were disgraces to the name of wizardry.  
  
I shrugged, they'd probably never forgive me and it was to late now. I started forward to start looking for any jobs there may have been in Diagon Alley. Flourish and Blot's, no there was only one counter and he was sure they had plenty of work. The owlery? No. Book store? Possibly.  
  
The bookstore I had in mind was a smaller one and supplied books that were older, and never on the Hogwarts list. The front was small and I saw hardly saw how a bookstore could fit in there. As I opened the door a cluster of small bells tinkled and danced on the inside of the door knob.  
  
"How may I help you my good sir?" A short, fat and slightly balding man appeared before him, he looked exactly like the sort that would own a book shop.  
  
"Well actually I was wondering if I could work in your store, or if you knew any where that might need my help." I crossed my fingers behind my back and hoped he would say he needed me.  
  
"Really?!" the man looked as if he was about to go into a fit of happiness. "I've been looking all over the place! No one seems to want to work in a store like this, I have one young man just out of Hogwarts but two people can't run it during all hours! It's too much for him and me and I have had to stay home more because my wife is having some problems. When can you start?!"  
  
"Well, if you needed me I could start right now." The man grinned.  
  
"Fabulous! Well I'll have you start right after Christmas and I'll tell McMillan that he won't have to work as much! Could I have some information about you please?" He whipped some parchment out form behind the counter and filled up his quill.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Name?"  
  
"Draco Malfoy." I was sure I'd get something, a weird look or even a suspicious look from this but he just wrote it down and went on."  
  
"Current address where I could reach you?"  
  
"1812 N. Hillock St., Hogsmeade."  
  
He wrote it down and pinned it to a small board to the side of the counter. "Thank you so much, you can contact me here most of the time, my name is Gerald Fitter, and you can floo here from your house. Just say 'Fitter Books' and off you'll be, straight to here!"  
  
This was great! I had my own job, a way to avoid my father, and I didn't have to rely on my father for money or anything else! I held out my hand. "Thank you so much! This is a relief; I didn't think I could find a job that easily."  
  
"Anytime, m'boy, anytime. Have a great day!"  
  
I nodded and strode out the door. "YES!" I did a little mini victory dance in the middle of the busy street. Several people gave me oh-my- goodness-where-did-he-escape-from looks but I didn't really pay attention. I apperated to my flat and flung myself on my bed, sighing in content. I hadn't been this happy in a long time. Actually I hadn't really been myself in along time. Sure I could get tetchy and really mad but if it wasn't for my father I'd never have been a particularly hateful person. I knew half of Hogwarts hated me or feared me, and the only real friend I'd had in Hogwarts was Blaise Zabini, he was okay.  
  
What was all this pureblood nonsense about too? They all obviously got into Hogwarts for being able to do magic, and that's what counts. ANYWAYS! I was ravenously hungry and I expelled some boiling water from my wand and into the pot, afterwards I put pasta and eventually Alfredo sauce. Mmmmmm. I didn't really know how to cook with magic so I was stuck making it the muggle way. In all the charms we'd learned in school, I couldn't remember even one that could prepare a meal, I'd have to find my old charms books.  
  
It wasn't that late by the time I went to bed, maybe only seven, but I was still tired all the same. It was probably more of a mental exhaustion than a physical exhaustion and I fell asleep almost immediately.  
  
~*~  
  
Ahhhhhhh. I rolled over and sighed. Pale sunlight was playing on my face, slightly warming it up. Most of my covers were on the floor and I shivered, it was rather cold.  
  
I slipped on a shirt and sweater over my boxers and padded into the hallway down to the living room. The large window leading out to the balcony was curtained in snow, falling softly and muffling the sounds from the streets outside. Ahhh, Christmas. I never really enjoyed Christmas, probably because it was another thing that rubbed into my face the fact that my family had fallen apart. I hadn't talked to my sister in nine years and my father didn't like anything in the least bit emotional, besides anger and hate. My mother was really the only reason Christmas had ever been good to me.  
  
But this year it was different. I didn't have to spend it with my father; I could just invite my mother over, and maybe even find someone else to share it with me. As in a girlfriend. Naw, I thought, that's preposterous. I decided to floo to the manor and invite mother over on Christmas, which was in two days.  
  
I threw on some pants, strode over the fireplace and said clearly, "Malfoy Manor," I threw the sparkling powder past the hearth and stepped in. The familiar feeling of spinning out of control came back, and a whirl of colors shined through my closed eyelids.  
  
"Draco? What's wrong?! Why are you back here so soon?!" My mother looked terrified; a rather common facial expression these days after my dad had gotten even worse.  
  
"Nothing mum! Calm down, I just wanted to invite you over to my place for Christmas. Just the two of us. Because father seems to think that Cerise is still here and I think he's planning an attack anyways."  
  
Mum laughed bitterly. "I doubt he'll notice, hun. But sure1 I'd love to come! I'd love to get away from this horrid, unfestive house." She gave me a hug. "But you had better leave; I don't want you to be here when your father comes home."  
  
My temper flared up. "He isn't doing anything to you is he? 'Cause if he is I'll-" she cut me off.  
  
"No! It's more... what he hasn't done in these past years. But none of that now, go on, decorate your house!" She bustled me back to the fireplace and with a final hug, I returned home in another whirl of spinning colors.  
  
As I looked around the living room, I decided my mum was right. It needed much more Christmas cheer, something the manor hadn't had since well before my Hogwarts days. I started with a tree. I conjured one up, one just tall enough to leave some space for a star at the top.  
  
One by one, I added glittering ornaments of silver and gold and red and green and ones that sparkled and ones that had little, no-heat flames inside. There were little tiny lights, all over the tree that were meant to look like fairy lights, and I did a pretty good job of them, if I do say so myself. I put little bursts of tinsel around the tree and a wreath of popcorn, like the ones we used to string the muggle way before my dad... well anyways.  
  
Finally, after the rest of the tree was done I added a huge, sparkling five pointed star at the very top. I enchanted it to hover just above the top and spin slowly, reflecting little orbs of colored lights on its surface. Even though I'd been alone, that had been great fun, my mum would love it I knew. The house elves hadn't decorated the manor for years.  
  
By the time I went to bed that night I was toasty warm and I decided to leave the decorations on all night, something to wake up to. As I laid there I started to think about my father's plans to attack the Weasley's. I truly, sincerely hoped that none of them got hurt. And I actually didn't think any of them would. My father's attacks and raids seldom had much effect on anyone, except maybe to scare them. The only one that had killed anyone was all the way back in fifth year when that Sirius man died. Somehow I think that that man meant a whole lot to Potter though, he'd been almost silent after that had happened in fifth year and seemed kind of sad at random times throughout the last two years of our schooling.  
  
Maybe he wouldn't even go through with it... that was just about my last conscious thought before I fell asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
I woke up. It was Christmas Eve!!!!!!! I felt like a five year old on Christmas Eve and I ran flat out towards the living room, but my socks had other ideas for me and wouldn't stop on the smooth hard wood floors. I crashed into the wall and got up clumsily, brushing myself off. These were the kinds of moments not very many people got to see, the excited me, the clumsy me, the nerd me, the singing in the shower me, and so on. There! Sure enough, my fabulous creation of a tree was still bright and shining, reminding me silently about the next day.  
  
$#%$#^&^^&&(**&&^*$%^@$@#@%$&(*&)*&_)()(*_&*^$%@$$@!$#@%$#^$  
  
Okay! I love reviews! So you have to click the little box that's just about directly below this and select review then says something about my story! Preferably something nice but ya know beggars can't be choosers. 


	3. The Guests

Hello everybody! Here is chapter three my little raisins! Lol that's the funniest phrase ever. Well I hope you liked the other chapters and I went through and revised both of them, very slightly to make the facts match each other more, cauz there were some things that contradicted each other.  
  
TESTING IS OVER!!!!! BOO YA!!!!! Sorry but we spent all last week doing wycas and terra nova testing and we did twelve hours of testing, three hours for four days and it was so fuckin long!  
  
Anyways here it is:  
  
(Ginny)  
  
Chapter Three: The Guests  
  
The aurors had stopped guarding our house day and night, because they had finished the protective charms they had been working on for the past week. One auror still came by every day though, just to make sure everything was good.  
  
I still had a week of Christmas break left, before returning to Hogwarts. Of all the times I'd been getting ready to return to Hogwarts this was the time I wanted to go the least. The friends in my grade were only my friends because I had to have someone to talk to when no one in the year ahead of me was around. Hannah was my only real friend in my year.  
  
"PEOPLE! Come down here! Dumbledore has something to tell everyone!" she sounded a cross between angry and impatient, probably wanting to her what Dumbledore had to say.  
  
But when had Dumbledore gotten here? Oh well, I thought, it's probably about the attack or something. I put on a sweater and ran down the stairs, almost knocking into Harry, who had gotten to the end of the stairs a moment before me. After a couple of minutes, and some more screaming from mum, everyone was sitting in the living room, with Dumbledore standing in the front, all of us looking expectantly at him.  
  
His pleasant, comforting voice rumbled through the room. "I have recently made contact with someone who wishes wholeheartedly to join our side. Because of his decision, he has no where to stay that is safe away from his family and other supporters of Voldemort that might want to seek revenge on him. Because of the recent enchantments that have been placed on this house, and its general safety anyways, I have decided it best to lodge him here until if and when he finds somewhere else. I came to make sure it was alright with you." Everyone just stared at him.  
  
Mum broke out of the reverie first and spoke. "Well of course! If he's really on our side, he's welcome anytime, but who is it?"  
  
Dumbledore eyes took on a whole different sparkle, one that seemed highly mischievous and amused. The corners of his mouth were twitching and I thought for just a second that this might be a joke of some kind. But Dumbledore wasn't the sort to play joke. "I believe it is better if you do not know who it is until he arrives, and since this is okay with you, he will be arriving the day after tomorrow. I suggest he have a room of his own, even a very small one. Thank you very much, I must be going now."  
  
"But Dumbledore! That's preposterous! Who shouldn't we know?!" Dad was looking at Dumbledore like he was completely insane. Dumbledore just gazed at him for a moment.  
  
"If you knew who it was, problems might arise that no one wants to deal with. Good bye now." And with that Dumbledore swished out of the room, and I could hear the front door open and close.  
  
"I wonder who it is that would make problems arise? I can't think of any reason for us not to know who we're preparing to let stay here for who knows how long! Well, I'm sure he has his reasons." Dad said to mum.  
  
Mum sighed. "Yes, yes I'm sure he does have his reasons but some of them just seem so weird.... But if we can't trust him to make the right decisions then me might as well just quit the war and give up."  
  
The conversation faded away as I walked back up to my room, thinking about who it could be... I didn't come up with anyone. Once I got to my room I laid down on my bed. After a very long train of thought, I came to the time I'd run into Malfoy a while ago. A surge of anger ran through me and thought about how inferior he thinks everyone is to him. I thought about what I said to him and smiled. It had been perfect! I'll be surprised if I ever do see him again! But then I thought about the look he'd given me right before I'd stormed away, It'd been a cross between hurt and desperate. OKAY!!!! NO MORE THINKING ABOUT THE STUPID PRICK MALFOY!!!  
  
I rolled over and grabbed the clock by my bed and held it above me. Nine o'clock. Might as well got to bed, it'll bring the day the New Guy gets here faster. I rolled over onto my stomach again and it only took a matter of minutes before I fell asleep.  
  
~*~  
  
I was making a little half-whistle sound through my front teeth, something I'd always done when I was nervous or restless. The only problem was it drove everyone crazy.  
  
"Ginny! I swear to god I'm going to kill you! You've been making that horrible sound for almost an hour!" Vi was holding her hands up in claws, like she wanted to choke me.  
  
"Okay, okay! I'm sorry I'm really bored though. I wish we had TV."  
  
"You wish we had what?" Vi looked confused but interested.  
  
"It's a muggle entertainment thing. Kinda hard to explain." Harry cut in, "I used to watch it when the Dursley's where out."  
  
Vi's famous oh-how-much-i-hate-you look arrived on her face at the mention of the Dursley's. "OF all the things you've told me about them, I want to rip out their eyes with toothpicks and make them eat it!" She practically growled.  
  
"Whoa, Vi calm yourself! I don't ever have to see them again if I don't want to!" Harry grinned as he put an arm around Vi.  
  
"So, guys have you tried to think of anyone that might be the New Guy?" This had been unofficially decided his name, until of course we knew his real name. We'd all had this discussion several times, but I'd thought about it this morning and once again came up with nothing.  
  
"Nope, I'm willing to just wait and find out; trying to think of someone is too hard on my brain." Alana said.  
  
"What brain? Your brain? Oh that was a good one!" Bill laughed.  
  
"Don't make me injure you, Bill! I'm very capable of it!"  
  
"Yes, yes I know. I was just kidding." Bill put a puppy dog look on his face and Alana laughed and gave him a kiss on the forehead.  
  
AHHHHH!!!!!! I screamed silently. Outwardly I just rolled my eyes. All these damned couples! Grrrrrrr I felt like a fifth wheel... actually like a fourteenth wheel.. anyways me and Percy where stuck hanging out with each other because everyone else was all 'involved' in there significant others. Not that I mind hanging out with Percy but I firmly believed that he should be hanging out with Penelope, not his little sister. He'd done nothing to deserve this. And Fred and George had no desire to have girlfriends; they had their joke shop and themselves.  
  
I looked over at Fred and George. What were they doing? I hadn't heard them say anything in a long time. They were whispering to each other, heads together and they seemed to be arguing. After a couple seconds of trying to hear what they were saying I heard a snatch of their conversation.  
  
"No! I don't want to bring Angelina here! Mum will get all emotional and plus... she probably won't want to come." Fred looked crestfallen as he whispered this to George.  
  
George waved a hand in front of his as if to dismiss what he had said. "Of course she will! You two have been together since fifth year!"  
  
"Only on and off! And what if she didn't want to come?"  
  
"Then we can try and find out who possessed her! Of course she'll want to come, just invite her already!"  
  
I smiled. I was obviously wrong about the twins, or Fred at least. I guess he and Angelina were together again, I couldn't really keep track of it, I'd stopped trying years ago. I really thought Angelina liked him though so I walked over and sat down next to him.  
  
I put my arm around him. "Awwwww, ickle Fred is nervous! Why don't you think she'll want to come if she's going out with you?" I said this quietly, not wanting to draw the whole room into this conversation.  
  
"You were listening to us? I am shocked!" George put a hand in the air in mock victory. "She learned from the best, I must say."  
  
"No, we're not going out but... that'd be bloody awesome. I was thinking about inviting her for Christmas but then I figured she'd want to spend that with her family then I was going to invite her for New Years and I didn't have the guts. Then I thought she could just hang out with the family, which is what we're on now." He said, glaring at the floor.  
  
"Well, I think you should invite her, I'm sure she'd love to come and see you! If you don't you'll regret it, you know that don't you?"  
  
"Mmmm.... I suppose." Fred looked at the carpet as if it fascinated him.  
  
"So are you going to invite her?"  
  
"Maybe, but anyways George, let's get some flying in!" I shook my head as George grinned and followed a blushing Fred out the door. If all else fails, play quidditch.  
  
I played Quidditch Chess with Percy for a while, talked about the New Guy with Virida.  
  
"It's driving me crazy! I'm starting to think it's going to be some evil wizard that supposedly turned light, so he doesn't want us to know because we wouldn't want him to stay here!" She laughed. "Jeez, that's what it probably is. I... won't like that very much."  
  
"I'll have to restrain you and your toothpicks, won't I?" I laughed.  
  
"Hey, changing the subject, what was all that with Fred a while ago? He looked a little love sick if you ask me." She looked at me curiously.  
  
"Ahhhh, well don't tell him I told you this but there's this girl-"  
  
"I knew it!"  
  
"that he went to school with and went out with on and off for years, and he still really likes her and he wants to invite her here to hang out with the family for a while but he's a wimp so he hasn't."  
  
"Well, we can probably do something about that! Do you know if she's home?" Vi looked positively excited, and stood up, clapping her hands together.  
  
"Well, yeah Fred used to Floo over there to talk to her al the time. You just say The Four Johnson's." I was vaguely starting to understand her plan, and I grinned.  
  
"Fabulous! We'll just floo over there and see if she can come over! Come on, we want to surprise Fred!" Vi dashed through the door and into the living room (We'd been in the kitchen) and stopped in front of the fire.  
  
"The floo powder is in the flower pot, I'll go first, they know me." I took a pinch and threw it into the fire place. "The Four Johnson's." I stepped in and was whirled away in a burst of spinning color.  
  
After a second or two I arrived in the fire place of a nice, cozy house decorated with a lot of olive green. I had a short glimpse of a dark skinned girl lying on the couch, frowning thoughtfully at the ceiling before she was on her feet with her wand pointed at my chest.  
  
"Oh! Ginny! I'm so sorry I just thought..." She put her wand down and smiled.  
  
"No, it's my fault, I should have told you I was coming, another woman is coming, she should be here-" My words were cut off by a bundle of robes and black hair and soot that came flinging out of the fireplace, coming to an abrupt halt at our feet, "Right about now."  
  
"What's this all about?" Angelina looked confused, even a little suspicious as Vi stood up and brushed off her robes.  
  
"Hi! Are you Angelina?! I'm Virida, just call me Vi though!" Angelina looked a little shocked but held her hand out and smiled anwyas.  
  
"Yeah, I'm Angelina. What are you two doing here?" She looked at me for the answers.  
  
"Well I heard Fred pining for you and he wanted to invite you over but didn't have the guts, so Vi decided that we needed to take things into our own hands. She asked me where you lived and then here we are, we want to surprise Fred." I watched her face. It lit up like a light bulb at the mention of Fred and when I said he was pining over her she grinned and sucked in a big breath.  
  
"You want me to come over and surprise Fred?! Okay! When can I come?!" She looked ecstatic.  
  
"As soon as you can, actually. He's outside playing Quidditch so I guess you could just fly up and meet him, and scare the shit out of him." She grinned again.  
  
"I haven't played Quidditch with him in a long time, that'll be good."  
  
"Do you miss him?" I asked. She blushed, and I smirked at her.  
  
"Oh be quiet, at least I didn't like Harry for like three years!" My neck instantly started heating up and I looked at Vi.  
  
"You liked Harry? For three years?!" Vi couldn't seem to handle this anymore and fell to floor, clutching her sides. Angelina laughed too.  
  
"Almost four actually, but I didn't like him after fourth year, he's just my buddy."  
  
"Well that's good because he's MINE." Vi looked even happier at the mention of Harry and I realized Angelina didn't know what was going on when she started speaking.  
  
"Well, you seem to be quite fond of Harry, I wouldn't be makin fun of Ginny if I where you." Angelina grinned again, I could tell her and Vi would get along great, both of them got along with just about anyone actually.  
  
"Well I'd better be incredibly fond of him! He's my boyfriend of almost seven months!" Vi looked at Angelina and waited for her response.  
  
"Harry's got a girlfriend? Of six months?!?!" AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA she broke into hysterical laughter and Vi took on a look of fake outrage.  
  
"We'll talk about this later, young lady, first we have to get you to your love."  
  
"Hey! Fred and I aren't even-" Angelina protested briefly before she was force-flooed to the Burrow.  
  
When we arrived, everyone except the twins of course still seemed to be in the kitchen, talking. I was surprised Harry hadn't gone ballistic about Vi being gone for more than a few minutes. He'd been a little... protective since the war last year. Maybe he'd relaxed a little but, something he deserved greatly.  
  
"Wait a minute, do you have to tell your parents where you are?" Vi looked suddenly very worried.  
  
"Naw, I don't even live there normally, and they were gone for the day. They'll just think I went back to my flat." Vi face relaxed and her eyebrows unbunched.  
  
"Our brooms are in the closet by the front door, you can use mine and Ginny and you can go and sweep Fred... off his broom. I'll watch from the sidelines." Angelina shook her head and laughed.  
  
"Whatever, but thank you SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much this means so much to me, I've missed Fred a lot." She blushed once again and walked towards the closer, with me and Vi following her.  
  
Angelina got Vi's broom and I got my broom and all three of us went out to the orchard, where Fred and George were inevitably playing Quidditch. Me and Angelina mounted and flew towards the two figures in the sky, and Angelina was grinning nervously.  
  
"Hey Ginny! Who's that you got th- ANGELINA!!!!" Fred almost fell off his broom after he realized who it was. Angelina shot after him and they crashed in midair, and I thought for a moment they were going to go spiraling to the ground but I realized they were partaking in a very.... Violent hug in midair.  
  
Vi was watching from the ground, grinning.  
  
A few minutes later, we were all on the ground and within seconds of setting foot on solid ground, Fred asked Angelina to go out with him. Vi was doing a little victory dance, I was laughing happily and George was looking happy for his brother but seemed to be slightly revolted all the same.  
  
~*~  
  
Finally! The New Guy would be getting here in about fifteen minutes, and everyone was sitting around waiting for him. Dumbledore had said they would floo in about three o'clock so we were all sitting in various couches and chairs, talking.  
  
"Gonna get here! Gonna get here! Gonna get here!" George was being slightly ignored so he had resorted to chanting.  
  
Mum was still bustling around upstairs in the New Guy's room, presumable making sure it was still clean after the five minutes we'd been out of the room, after spending a good part of the morning cleaning it.  
  
I sat there and waited. For some reason not knowing who this guy was was driving me crazy.  
  
Ten minutes.  
  
Five minutes.  
  
He should be here.... NOW! I thought as I watched the second hand of my watch brush swiftly past the twelve. I was horribly disappointed. But not for long because the flames turned green and started sparking and snapping. Two hunched over figures appeared in the fire place and stepped out onto the hearth. I recognized the tall, thin form of Dumbledore with his pleasant eyes and white hair. My eyes moved onto the next person... the person with white blonde hair and grey eyes... I'd become accustomed to seeing the hair gelled back and the eyes cold and cruel. He looked a lot different but what the hell was going on?!?!?!  
  
It was dead silent for just a second before I voiced my shock. "MALFOY?!"  
  
~*~  
  
There we go. This is going well. I like it. And I hope you like it too and if you do then you should review because that'd be fing awesome! Tom Felton is so hot! Okay had to say that but seriously though he is one sexy beast. And he seems really funny. Lol woooooooo I hope I get the next chapter up soon and it'll help if you reviewed! *hint hint* Love yall! 


	4. Not Too Bad

Wooooo! I'm on a roll! Dude I'm so excited because I'm going to Australia this summer and even though it's like four months away I'm so excited!!!!! And we're getting our passport pictures today and so yeah. Anyways I don't think I mentioned last chapter that I own a pair of really cool pants, I'm wearing them right now, but I don't own Harry Potter  
  
(Draco)  
  
Chapter Four: Not too Bad  
  
I had spent the entire day of the 27th pacing around my house, sitting down every five minutes to begin the letter to Dumbledore, then getting back up and pacing. It had to have been at least ten o'clock at night before I sat down and forced myself to write, very simply, that I wanted to join their side. I told him about how my father wanted me to become a Death Eater in exactly one month and how I didn't want to but knew he'd kill me if I told him that.  
  
Dumbledore had told me to meet him that night in muggle London, in a small Café on the west side. He told me he believed me and said he would arrange a secret place to stay, where no one except the other people there would know where I was. When I had asked him where, and he'd said the Weasley's I just stared at him, but who was I to question him? He was already doing me a huge favor by trusting me.  
  
And now, here I am, in my flat with Dumbledore about ready to floo to the Weasley's house.  
  
"Draco, the Weasley's might be a little surprised to see you, so don't expect too warm a welcome." Dumbledore said, picking up the second trunk I had.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't but they don't even know I'm coming?" Well this was just great; they'd probably all curse me the second I stepped out of the fireplace.  
  
"Well, I told them that someone was coming, just not a name." His eyes twinkled and he turned away.  
  
Within five minutes we had gone through to the Weasley's and stepped out of the fireplace.  
  
"MALFOY?!" Ginny Weasley, looking almost as mad as the day I'd ran into her, was standing up with her fists clenched,  
  
"Yes, Weasley, it is I." I tried not to do the evil-death-eater voice. I thought it came out rather nice. Unfortunately no one in the room agreed with me. In fact Potter looked about ready to curse someone. Probably me.  
  
"What is he doing here?! Don't tell me you think he's on our side!" Potter waved his hand at me and looked at Dumbledore like he feared for his sanity.  
  
"Silence." There was immediate silence in the room, and everyone looked raptly at Dumbledore. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy here is on our side and I ask you all to behave civilly towards each other. I have proof that his father wants him to become a Death Eater in less than a month, on the 27th of January. However, Draco chose to write me and tell me that he did not wish to be a part of that. You must trust each other."  
  
There were several people in the room I did not recognize, a fairly tall blonde girl with a red haired Weasley that must have been Bill. A very short, Spanish looking girl under Potter's arm, and a girl sitting very close to the last Weasley, I was guessing this last guy was Charlie. I recognized all the Weasley's, Potter, Granger, and another Gryffindor, Johnson I think, but what was she doing here? Oh, I thought, as one of the Weasley Twins put an arm around her. The blonde girl next to Bill and the brown haired girl next to Charlie and the Spanish girl with Potter all looked a little confused at everyone's outbursts.  
  
"Who are you? Why is everyone freaking out?" the blonde girl asked me. I was surprised at being asked a question directly and answered before Potter could but in.  
  
"I'm Draco Malfoy and everyone is freaking out because I'm the heir of one of Voldemort's most loyal Death Eaters, and they can't fathom that I wouldn't want to follow my snot-nosed father." I told her, Potter snorted disbelievingly. I hadn't meant to put in the whole snot-nosed part but hey, it was true.  
  
She looked like she was contemplating me. Finally she got up from the couch and held out her hand to me.  
  
"I'm Alana VanBuren, nice to meet you." Bill's mouth was open, as he watched his girlfriend fraternize with 'the enemy'.  
  
"Hello, nice to meet you too." I smiled at her; she was the only person in this room about to give me a chance.  
  
"Let me introduce you to everyone, Draco." Dumbledore smiled and started pointing people out, "You've met Alana VanBuren, she's here with Bill Weasley," He pointed at Alana (the blonde girl) and Bill in turn, "Then there's Meg Raymer," Dumbledore pointed at the brown haired girl next to what I had assumed was Charlie, "And Charlie Weasley. That's Percy Weasley, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley," these were all people I knew, until he pointed out the Spanish girl, "and Virida Montoya. I believe you know Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Angelina."  
  
Everyone had given slight waves or nods, but the people that had never met me before all smiled and waved happily. At least there were some people willing to give me a chance. When Dumbledore pointed at Angelina, she looked at me in the same way Alana had, then smiled and waved. Jeez, I'd insulted her and her boyfriend countless times! I felt almost bad about it now but I was slightly amazed at how she practically forgave me so quickly.  
  
"and this is Draco Malfoy, everyone." Dumbledore had set down my trunk and shook my hand. "I must be going now but I'm sure you'll all be fine." He paused and looked around with a challenging look on his face, "And I'm sure you'll all get along." He disappeared into fire place.  
  
I felt very exposed. There were fifteen wizards and witches here, most of which have hated me for years, and the rest have hatred my father at least. Alana had made me feel a lot better about the whole situation, like there was a little hope for me to live through the next five minutes. Most people here, especially Potter and Ginny, looked about ready to curse me, right there.  
  
The awkward silence was broken by a slightly amused voice. "Don't call me Virida, call me Vi." Virida, or rather, Vi walked up to me and shook my hand. She looked on the verge of laughing, but I couldn't find anything funny about the situation.  
  
"What's so funny?" Fred Weasley said. He hadn't taken his arm from around Angelina, so I could still tell who he was.  
  
Evidently, Vi couldn't handle whatever was funny anymore and collapsed onto the couch next to a bewildered Potter. "It's just... you all..." she gasped, "look like you're going to kill each other." She chuckled for a moment more before speaking again. "He seems perfectly nice to me!"  
  
"You didn't go to school with that bastard for seven years, Vi." Potter looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or glare at me.  
  
I opened my mouth to say something but, what was I supposed to say? I'm sorry for being an ass hole the entire time I knew you? I'm sorry my father is the evil bastard that's responsible for killing your godfather and the man my father serves killed your parents? No, I didn't that would go over too well.  
  
I decided to kind of joke about it. "I agree with Vi." I smiled halfheartedly, and Potter glared at me for addressing his girlfriend. Bill on the other hand, stood up and shrugged.  
  
"Well, if he's willing to go against his father, then good on him! I trust Dumbledore about it, so let's just not kill each other at least." Ahh! Here we go! Another one!  
  
I held out my hand to Bill and he shook it, smiling warmly at me. Percy stood up and held out his hand to me. I shook his too, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley did the same, and Charlie after them. In a few minutes I'd shaken everyone's hands except Potter's and little Weasley's (Ginny's). I assumed Ginny Weasley was still fuming about our last encounter, which hadn't gone to well.  
  
"So... could I put my stuff away?" I tried my very hardest to sound as nice as possible.  
  
Molly Weasley spoke first, "Yes! Yes, Ginny take one of his trunks and show him to his room." Molly looked rather stiff.  
  
"Thank you Mrs. Weasley." I smiled at her and hoped to make a better impression later.  
  
Ginny was in a silent fury and kicked my trunk before picking it up, showing a lot more strength than I would have predicted from such a small looking body. I decided saying anything would greatly risk my health so I stayed silent as I followed her up the stairs with one of my trunks.  
  
"Your room." She dropped the trunk in the doorway and turned around to leave but I stopped her.  
  
"Hey, look-"  
  
"No! Don't even start! I don't want to hear about it, you're lucky you're even allowed to stay here!" She turned once again to leave.  
  
"No! wait! I'm sorry about that one time, I didn't mean to run into you, and I didn't mean to be such a bastard about it... just... wanted to say that. Thank you." I stopped. Where oh where were my powers of smoothness when I needed them?  
  
To say the least, she looked suspicious. "Okay... you're welcome. Dinner's in two hours. Don't be late." She gave a small wave and walked down the stairs.  
  
I let out a breath. I was alive! This was good! I decided to put my stuff away and I kicked the trunk out of the doorway, out of the way of the door so I could close it. There was a small but comfortable looking bed in the right hand corner across from me and a window to the left of it. A dresser and a closet were on the left wall next to me and another window on the wall to the right. I dropped the trunk I had been holding and opened it. It put the muggle clothes into the first drawer of the dresser (that's all the clothes I had) and hung up a few pairs of robes in the closet.  
  
As I lifted up the last shirt from the depths of the trunk I stopped short. The shirt fell from my hands and I picked up the medium sized, square photo album with a handsome blue cover. These were pictures from along time ago. I opened to the first page and smiled reminiscently at the picture of me and my entire family, even Cerise, in America when I was seven. We'd arrived in New York, and actually driven across the whole damned country to California, our longest stop in between being in Yellowstone National Forest, in Wyoming, where this picture had been taken. The picture had been taken with a muggle 'disposable camera' so nobody was moving, just standing there and smiling happily forever, unaware of what would start happening in a few short years.  
  
There were pictures of us in Scotland, the Quidditch World Cup along time ago, which I barely remembered, and just at our home in England. Most of the pictures taken at the manor had been developed the wizard's way so I watched the miniature figures of my family play hide and go seek, have picnics on the front lawn, throw snowballs at each other and draw quietly. We were at the beach, in the woods, throwing food at each other, and just smiling happily. My hair in the pictures was loose and down to my ears, which made me look a whole lot more friendly I realized.  
  
I shook my head. This was just making me feel worse, I needed to finish unpacking. I put the album in the third drawer down and then opened the second drawer and started putting the contents of my second suitcase in it. It was mainly books, and potion ingredients from Hogwarts that I'd probably never use again.  
  
I sat down on the bed and started reading a book, to pass the time until dinner. I slowly started to read, but couldn't focus and started reading lines over again. I tried to keep my eyes open but I very slowly started to drift off.  
  
I was in a dark graveyard, surrounded by the sad grey figures of tomb stones and graceful sculptures of angels. The silence was ringing in my ears and I was surrounded by black hooded figures with masks completely covering their faces. Death Eaters. I realized this must be my ceremony to join them but the very far back depths of my mind told me I was dreaming. This had to be a dream! It was still January! I shook my shoulders and jumped up and down, smacked my face and pinched my arm, anything to get myself to wake up.  
  
"Draco, what are you doing? You disgrace me with your foolishness." The unkind, unwelcome, but all too familiar voice resounded around me, surrounding me, drowning everything else out.  
  
"What is this? Where am I?" I asked, knowing the answer. This was Tom Riddle's grave site, where I knew plenty dark activities went on.  
  
"You fool. You know what this is. You're trapped, caught forever in the web I have entrapped us in, never to escape. This is your destiny. No turning to the light side, no joining forces with anybody else, no doing good deeds and trying to stop the dark side. Your sister gone, father as good as gone, mother sad and lonely, and you left almost all alone in the world, with no friends. You have betrayed the people you grew up to rub shoulders with, and have no trust from the ones you now join with, leaving you in the middle of nowhere in what is to be the biggest war between good and evil there will ever be. No one is on your side, even the people who you chose to join sides with."  
  
As the voice changed from my fathers and into an even colder, more evil voice, I started running blindly. "No! Dumbledore trusts me! He believes me! He's on my side! I have frien-" I stopped though. I didn't have friends. My stomach turned over in anguish, will this dream never end?  
  
Through the grass and tombstones, the voice followed me, haunted me, jeered me and chased me. I looked behind me, trying to see how the voice was still so close to my ears, even though I was running as fast as I could. In the moment I wasn't looking at the ground in front of me, I tripped and fell, and my head bashed into a gravestone.  
  
I sat straight up in bed, or rather the floor with all the blankets wrapped around me. Ginny Weasley was kneeling next to me, looking... concerned? No, it couldn't be possible. Almost the second I looked her in the eye the look was gone and she stood up and spoke.  
  
"Are you okay? What was that dream about?" She looked at me curiously, but not harshly like she had been.  
  
For one of the first times in my life, I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. "Um... well nothing really, just a bad dream... sorry... did I disturb you?" I hastily stood up and threw the blankets onto the bed. Ginny stood there and looked like she was contemplating me, trying to get into my thoughts. I stared back at her, still rather hot around the neck. She's really pretty, I thought. Whoa! That was the weirdest thought ever. But before I could think about that more, she seemed to have come to a decision, and she smiled at me.  
  
"No, I was coming to tell you dinner is ready, we're having spaghetti and meatballs, and my mom's spaghetti is fabulous, you'll love it." Her cold hatred towards me seemed to have been set aside, at least for now, in the situation that we had to live in the same house.  
  
"Thank you; I'll just... come down then." Argh! Why did I feel so stupid!? I reached up and brushed away a strand of hair. Wait a minute... my hair was loose! I guess the spell that I used had decided to wear off while I was sleeping, and my hair was back down to my ears.  
  
Ginny looked slightly amused, which just served the purpose of embarrassing me more. "You do that." She turned on her heel and walked out of the room, proceeding down the stairs and, I assumed, into the kitchen.  
  
Well, this was going to be an interesting dinner. Three minutes later I was seated at the table with Bill on one side and Meg on the other, with Ginny in front of me.  
  
"Well, Mal- Draco I mean, what kind of sauce do you want, alfredo or tomato?" Yay! They had Alfredo sauce! That was my favorite.  
  
"I'll take some alfredo, thank you Mrs. Weasley." Mrs. Weasley scooped sauce onto the pasta and rolled some meatballs on top, then handed it to me.  
  
"No, no dear call me Molly, please." She smiled as she scooped someone else's pasta and went on. "That's so odd, Ginny is the only other one in the whole family that likes alfredo, I usually don't even bother to make it."  
  
"Well you're all crazy, alfredo is the best!" Ginny was already eating, shoveling actually. I don't think I'd ever seen anyone eat like that. It was actually quite funny.  
  
"So, Draco. If you want to tell us, what exactly made you come to our side?" Bill asked, taking a bite of bread and butter. I was surprised he asked this, for some reason.  
  
"What exactly? I can't say what exactly but there were lots of things, little things, big things, things that had nothing to do with me, yet they did, because my father was a part of it." I wasn't sure this was making sense but I figured there was no turning back now. "My father used to be a lot more normal... father figure. I'm sure none of you remember him that way because by the time he got into the ministry he was already changed but my father used to be really loving. Believe it or not Voldemort ruined my family too. I don't know how the man- thing actually- did it, but he did and I don't even know my father anymore. Nor does he know me. Because of that man that lives in my old house, I haven't spoken to my sister in nine years, and my mother is almost constantly scared."  
  
Whoa I felt stupid beyond measure how corny could you get?! These people probably thought that was totally rehearsed! I stared at my plate and waited for someone to start laughing, or accuse me of lying. I waited for anything.  
  
"I'm sorry, that's horrible. Do you know where your sister is?" Percy said, looking on at me with an interested expression.  
  
"No, she left when she was sixteen, and I was nine. I haven't seen or heard from her since." As I looked up and around the table I realized no one thought I was lying or feeding them a line. They had looks of varying degrees of sympathy, sadness, or even anger.  
  
To my great surprise, Potter spoke to me. "Well, Malf- Draco, I'm very sorry about your sister, I hope you find her someday." Potter immediately looked down at his food, and Vi grinned at him and slapped him on the back.  
  
"Ah! Here we go! I'm just so-" Vi gave a pretend sob, "proud of you! You've put aside all the pointless hate!" She put her hand over her heart in mock delight. Everyone laughed, including me, and I felt a whole lot more at ease with the situation.  
  
"Yeah, I'm sorry mate, I wish you the best of luck with finding her. More meatballs?" These people just kept surprising me! Ron had just sincerely apologized to me, about something that he knew almost nothing about. Most of the people I knew would hold grudges for decades, about stupid things too. Some of the things I'd done to Ron and his friends weren't stupid.  
  
"Sure, thanks. These are great Molly."  
  
The rest of the meal went well, I was smiling almost the whole time and talking among all the people, even the people I'd 'hated' for seven years. I talked mostly to Ginny and Percy though, and after a while I realized it was probably because everyone else had boyfriends or girlfriends or fiancés or the like. George didn't, but he was at the other end of the table.  
  
That night I went to my room stuffed and content, but thinking about something I hadn't contemplated in along time. I had no idea where my sister Cerise was, and even though I tried to push the thought to the back of my head, I didn't even know if she was alive. For years after she left I thought up wild plans to try and get her back, but after awhile I just kept thinking I'd do it when I was older. And now that I was older I couldn't think of a single way to try and track her down. I didn't know anyone she might have stayed with, any of her friends or contacts; I don't know what kind of job she might have... nothing.  
  
There was a soft knock at the door and I got off my bed to open it. I was surprised to see Ginny standing there with an extra blanket in her arms, her head barely visible over the quilted masses.  
  
"Oh... hi." I opened the door wider and she walked through, dropping the blanket on my bed.  
  
"Hi, I came to give you an extra blanket 'cause it's getting even colder lately." She stood there awkwardly for a second, then went to leave.  
  
"No!" I didn't know why I said it in the first place but having company sounded good at the moment. "You don't have to go... if you don't want to."  
  
"Oh, well right then. How are you?" She was still standing in the doorway, poised to leave, but as she said that she relaxed and stepped a pace into the room.  
  
"About the same as I was five minutes ago. How about you" I joked around.  
  
She laughed. "Yeah I'm good too. So... what's your sister's name?" she said carefully, almost like she expected me to blow up.  
  
"Cerise. But for all I know she's changed her name so I can't think of any way to track her down. I was actually just thinking about that." I replied, sitting down on one of two chairs I magicked up. "You can sit down if ya want to."  
  
"What did she look like?" Ginny did sit down, with one leg tucked under her and her arms in the front pocket of her hoodie.  
  
"She was pretty tall for her age, with hair the same color as mine that went to about her chin, and she always did it kind of spiky in a way. She had blue eyes though, instead of grey or whatever mine are." I scratched my chin. "But again, I'm sure that's changed in the last nine years."  
  
"You're eyes are blue though.... That's odd. I would have sworn they were grey." She leaned forward in her chair and looked into my eyes. She sat back quickly though, seemingly realizing what she had been doing. I'd noticed her own eyes were a very dark brown, but very bright. I could almost tell what she was thinking, something I'd discovered during dinner.  
  
"Anyways, I'd better... go to bed. I hope you find your sister, and good night." And before I could say anything else, Ginny strode out of the room, closing the door behind her.  
  
A few minutes later as I got under the extra covers Ginny had brought in, I thought about the people I'd met and the people I'd re-met tonight. The last conscious thought I had before I slipped into a warm, contented sleep was "They're really not too bad."  
  
~*~  
  
Well, everybody this chapter was kind of pointless but okay all the same. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!! REPEAT AFTER ME!!! Okay yeah.... Hope ya like my story. Wooooooo!!!!!!!!! Im freakin out devon is SO hot! Im done now.  
  
Love ya!  
  
BOO YA I got a new Lando poster, hes so sexy! I cant handle it... anyways now im actually done. 


	5. Past and Surprises

HELLO all my faithful readers! Actually I think only like on person has read this story, bluespritefire I think, and if anyone else is reading this I want a reason why theyre not reviewing! JEEZ!!!! CRUSH MY DREAMS!!!  
  
I hate school. Gym is okay but kind boring cauz I don't reallyt know anybody and I LOVE art, its my favorite class, science is boring and he only reason I don't like go bezerk in that class is cauz I sit next to Jordan and hes hilarious so yeah... anyways French is really fun, algebra is stupid and its because of that stupid class I don't have a 4.0. grrrrrrrr stupid algebra. And history is fun I guess, ind arts is okay, and English is okay. I wish I knew more people in track, itd be more fun that way, and I wish Dalton wasn't being such an ass hole.  
  
DUDE! I just got another review from Foolish Fish and thank you so much, my fishy friend! I almost peed when I read the review cauz I don't get like any reviews.... cough hint cough  
  
I LOVE DEVON!!!! WOOOOO  
  
ANWAYS!: here we go!!! Get ready to RUUUUMBLE!!!  
  
GINNEY'S P.O.V.  
  
Chapter 5: Past and Surprises  
  
Having Malfoy in the house was defiantly weird, especially because he didn't seem to be all that bad any more, even to the point of friendly. But hey, I wasn't complaining! One more person in the house to talk to...  
  
As my room was right next to Malfoy's, I found myself listening intently to his room, in hopes of hearing something. Whoa! Hold everything what was I doing? I shook my head and rolled over onto my stomach. My last conscious thought was that I still had the tiniest grudge against Malfoy. Who wouldn't after seven consecutive years of torture, spitefulness, greed and hate?  
  
The next morning when I woke up there was an enticing smell of bacon wafting into my room. Someone was singing loudly, probably Vi and the person in the next room seemed to be amused to the point of hysterics. I realized that the person in the next room was, in fact, Malfoy. As I walked into the hallway I tried to remember the last time I'd heard him laugh genuinely. I never had... how odd. Draco seemed to be abandoning all pretenses of being a respectable Malfoy.  
  
The door next to mine burst open and a tall, handsome blonde stepped out with a child-like, eager grin on his face. Malfoy of course. When he noticed me he visibly stiffened and for a moment the familiar sneer returned to his face. After a moment he loosened up and looked sheepish.  
  
"Sorry. Habit." We both knew what he was talking about.  
  
"Not used to waking up with Vi in the house are you?" I said. "Wait, well of course you're not...never mind." I shook my head and motioned for him to come down.  
  
"Well, we'll just have to feed her some food to get her to shut-" Malfoy was cut off by a loud burst of song from downstairs.  
  
"A WHOLE NEW WORLD!!!! A NEW FANTASTIC POINT OF VIEW! NO ONE TO TELL US NO, OR WHERE TO GO, OR SAY W'RE ONLY DREAMING!!!" What the hell she was talking about? No idea. And I wasn't sure I wanted to know.  
  
"It's probably got something to do with muggles, Vi is a muggle born." Vi's voice was getting louder and louder as me and Malfoy got further down the stairs and closer to the kitchen.  
  
When we got there we found Vi and Harry sitting at the table, already eating like there was no tomorrow and Vi was singing with a hoard of food in her mouth. Me and Malfoy looked at each other and laughed.  
  
Vi had noticed us. "HOLA!!!!! Don't you just love Aladdin? I do. It's great. I watched it when I went over to America for two years before I graduated and those American muggles have some crazy senses of humor. There was this movie called Brother Bear and there was these two mooses and it was so funny 'cause-" Harry put his finger under her chin and closed her mouth.  
  
"Chew, dear. That's disgusting." Vi smiled through her food and swallowed.  
  
"Sorry. But I have that song stuck in my head and I love that movie and it's awesome."  
  
"Is mooses even a word?" Draco asked, the tiniest of smirks playing on his lips. A truly amused smirk though, not the evil oh-I-am-better-than- you-and-you-amuse-me-to-no-end smirk.  
  
Vi paused. "Now it is." And returned to her food.  
  
"Good morning Draco, would you like some waffles and bacon? There's also orange juice and milk and water." Mum was bustling around the kitchen making plentiful piles of waffles and bacon, and pouring drinks for everyone. I looked at Malfoy expectantly, waiting for him to say what he wanted.  
  
Malfoy, however, was looking utterly surprised at the people and happenings of the kitchen. This was completely normal to me, people singing and screaming and arguing and laughing and getting more food. Mum cooking, dad reading some muggle book he'd been at for ages, and Fred and George not showing up until lunch.  
  
"Oh... um... I guess..." He shook his head slightly and came out of the shocked reverie. "Yeah, sure. I like orange juice."  
  
"Do you not eat, or what?" It had been a joke but Malfoy looked at me with a coldly reminiscent air, and looked all the part of the arrogant bastard he had once been. The look was fleeting, though and he turned and was smiling again within a moment or two.  
  
I sat down next to him and whispered slightly, masking my voice with Vi's singing and Harry's conversation with Charlie. "I'm sorry." And, yet again another fleeting look flashed past his face, this one surprised.  
  
"Oh... no, don't be, it was nothing." He turned and busied himself with his food.  
  
I shrugged and went at my own food and looked up at Bill, who to my surprise was looking straight back at me. He looked highly amused for some reason and I had not the slightest idea why. I raised my eyebrows at him and he went back to chatting with Alana.  
  
"So, Vi, it would be so lovely of you to explain this movie contraption to me! How does it work and what exactly does it do?" Dad looked like a kid in a candy store. Here we go again.  
  
"So, Draco, weren't you going to be working in a bookstore in Diagon Alley? When do you start?" Meg looked on in interest and Draco shook his head.  
  
"Well, that's the bad part really. I was looking forward to having a job away from my house and I walked into the bookstore at just the right time and was going to start today actually." He took a sip of orange juice. "But Dumbledore said having the job there would be just as dangerous as living in my flat at this point."  
  
"Ah, well, that bites. I'd want a job away form home too." Meg brushed her hair over her shoulder. "What are you going to do now?"  
  
"Oh... well... Don't freak out on me here, but Dumbledore told me he planned on accepting me to the Order of the Phoenix. In... a while..." The kitchen was silent except for the batter dripping steadily from the spoon.  
  
I knew why this was such a big deal. Accepting Draco into the folds of our hospitality was one thing, believing him was one thing. But accepting him into the Order? I wasn't even in the Order, I was 'to young'. I thought it'd take ages for Draco to get into the Order.  
  
"Oh, well then. I see." Mum busied herself with prying the huge pancake off the pan, because she had let the spoon drip.  
  
"Yeah, I know it's... kinda soon and all... but it was his idea." Malfoy held his hands up in a kind of surrender.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry! It was nothing against you! I was just a little surprised!" Mum maneuvered through the kitchen and gave Malfoy a hug, who looked a cross between shocked and sad. He patted her back awkwardly and I almost laughed as pancake batter dripped all down his back from the spoon mum was still holding.  
  
"Yeah, I don't think most of you trust me still... and I can't say I blame you." I snorted at this.  
  
"I can see why." Again, I had been joking but it seemed to have triggered something and he looked sad again, for the moment I could see his face before his hair dropped into his eyes and he leaned towards his plate.  
  
"I'm freaking out! Dude, this is friggen awesome, man!" Fred and George came crashing down the stairs, not to undo their daily tradition of a dramatic entrance.  
  
"We got the American Sweethearts down, man!" Fred looked intensely excited as he babbled on in a perfect American accent.  
  
"Let me guess, they make you have an American accent?" I said sarcastically.  
  
"Totally, man! This is so totally cool, it's the bomb!" Bill looked highly amused but Vi looked questioning.  
  
"I was in America for awhile, and they didn't talk like that.... Not that bad at least, I think your playing it up a bit much." Fred was already talking to Harry in rapid fire American slang, so George answered.  
  
"I know, but it sounds waaay more hilarious that way, dude."  
  
"Sit down!" Mum looked amused but impatient.  
  
The rest of breakfast went well, with a few spills and loud, happy talking. Malfoy only talked when questions were directed at him, and I could tell he felt uncomfortable around all these people. I had flash of an idea, but dismissed it quickly. I was NOT bringing Malfoy to my balcony, that was for me.  
  
Suddenly a rather old looking black owl flew in the window, carrying an equally black envelope sealed with the Hogwarts crest in an ominous blood red. It soared across the kitchen, over the table, and dropped the letter into the outstretched hands of my mother. The envelope scared me, I knew it was almost exactly alike to the letters that were sent to the loved ones of people who had been killed in the first reign of Voldemort.  
  
Most of the kitchen looked scared or concerned, with the exception of Malfoy who looked puzzled and Vi, who looked down right petrified. I figured she knew all to well what these letters could mean, and Harry had his arm wrapped tightly around her.  
  
Mum started talking, "They're postponing the beginning of this term at Hogwarts because-" she looked momentarily relieved then continued reading, and a look of frightened panic came over her face, "of a recent attack on the teachers. A message from" she blanched, "you-know-who was left behind and he says he's going to attack the British community in general, and show us all the extent of his power." She looked up.  
  
Utter silence. Broken a few moments later when Vi let out a short, restricted sob as if she was trying to hide it. Before anyone could say anything, she stood up violently and rushed up the stairs, closely followed by Harry.  
  
Most people looked down at their plates, not saying anything. Malfoy, Alana, and Meg looked slightly confused but didn't seem to want to ask. I knew why the small but sinister letter had affected Vi that way, more than anyone else. We'd all lost friends at the hands of Lord Voldemort or his Death Eaters; Sirius, Harry's parents, a lot of dad's work buddies. Dedalus Diggle, Elphius Doge, Emmaline Vance, and even one of my former dorm mates was lost. Not dead, but she quit school t become a Death Eater. Vi's story was a little more poignant than that though.  
  
Vi had grown up in Portugal, with her parents and three sisters. Her parents knew about the growing threat of Voldemort and when he had really started to get a hold for the first time, they decided to move to England when Vi was 11 and become Aurors. They were pretty good too, by what I've been told and caught a good few. They worked undercover mostly, because Voldemort and his followers didn't know that the Ministry was recruiting foreigners but their cover was blown and Voldermort went after them himself.  
  
It was over the summer break, right after Vi's first year at Hogwart's and they had just received word they were in danger. They planned to leave immediately but when they tried to apperated, they found they couldn't. Voldemort's people had put anti-disapperating charms around their house.  
  
Two of Vi's older sisters were qualified and were well on the way to becoming aurors too. When Voldemort came, they fought bravely but he soon had control over Vi's oldest sister, whom he made kill her entire family, leaving Vi to watch, helpless, as her family was taken out one by one by her own sister. After the curse was lifted off her sister, she was all but dead and Voldemort had no qualms about finishing the job. He would have finished her off too but he was slightly distracted by the arrival of two dozen Aurors, Mad-Eye included.  
  
Needless to say, seeing anymore black envelopes would bring back some incredibly horrible memories. I could feel tears prickling at my own eyes but pushed them back.  
  
"When is the term going to start then?" I asked, trying to distract myself.  
  
"Two weeks longer than they planned, so you have three weeks left." Mum said, apparently almost in tears herself.  
  
"Okay." I got up and put my plate in the sink, then continued upstairs. My appetite seemed to have disappeared along with Vi.  
  
I sat on my balcony for along time, wrapped up in a quilt. It wasn't to cold out this morning, and the sun was shining weakly on the grass.  
  
I heard a knock on the door and I quickly got up and closed the door to my balcony. When I opened the door into the hallway there was a pair of legs with a bundle of quilts blocking someone. Malfoy stuck his head around the pile.  
  
"I figured... these were yours. Do you want them back?" Malfoy somehow looked incredibly funny with his hair mussed up and half his face squished against the side of the large pile of quilts.  
  
"Oh! No, I have my own. You can keep them for as long you stay here." I fell silent, and acted as though the carpet was incredibly interesting.  
  
"Well, okay then. I'll just... leave now." He turned and strode over to his room, opened the door and disappeared inside.  
  
After he left, is started thinking about what I was going to do with my extra two weeks. I didn't have anything planned in the first place and I didn't want to just be lazy for another two weeks. There was quidditch; we could have sort of inter-family championship. I thought about inviting one of my friends over, but they probably would have to stay with their families.  
  
Some of the people were still at breakfast, so I decided to go down and try and convince the twins to play some Quidditch. As I stepped onto the stairwell, I was distracted by something to right of the railing, and I missed a step. My heart jumped into my throat as I fell forward with my hands in front of me and I thought 'this is gonna hurt' right before a pair of hands grabbed me around the waist and pulled me back onto the second story landing.  
  
I whirled around and saw it was Malfoy, who let go so fast I almost fell over again. He looked like he thought I was going to blow up in his face.  
  
"Thanks. I'm a klutz..." Could this be any more awkward? Probably not.  
  
He looked relieved, "Oh, no problem." He said, and swept down the stairs and into the kitchen. I stood there for a moment thinking Malfoy was a spaz before shrugging my shoulders to no one unparticular and tracing his steps into the kitchen.  
  
It just shows how long It's been since I've put a chapter up cauz I was still in school when I started it. ITS SUMMER NOW HELL YA!!!!! And I have a job now too.....  
  
Anyways I'm sorry this was such a short chapter, but I really want to begin a new chapter a little before the next big thing that's going to happen next and I swear it won't take as long this time. I doubt anyone even reading this story.... But oh well.  
  
Hope ya like it! The next choater will be better I swear! 


	6. Sister's Secrets

Okay everyone I'm back! This chapter will be better than the last one I swear. My computer is being a fucking piece of shit!!!!!! DAMMIT!!!!!! I AM SO MAD AT MY COMPUTER. thanks for all the reviews, specific thanks at bottom. REVIEW!!!  
  
DRACO'S P.O.V.  
  
Chapter six: Sister's Secrets  
  
As I walked into the kitchen I noticed something was wrong. Instead of the happy chaos, there was nervous disorder, people running around and putting things away and coming in and out of the kitchen. A few moments after I came in Ginny came in after me, and her mum ran up to her, gave her a big hug and then rushed out past her without an explanation.  
  
Mr. Weasley looked up and started towards Ginny to talk to her. I moved closer so I could hear.  
  
"Ginny, all the Order members are being called out so you're going to have to stay here for a while. Dumbledore thinks he knows what Who-Know-Who is up to and he wants as many of us as he can get." Ginny's eyes had already flashed halfway through the sentence and Mr. Weasley made as if to walk away but Ginny burst out.  
  
"I'm going with you! I'm not going to sit around while you all are out fighting him! He's affected me too!" Her face was contorted in rage and her fingernails were digging into her palms.  
  
"Order members, Ginny. Only Order members! Dumbledore won't let you come any more than I will, you're staying HERE." He had almost walked away again before Mrs. Weasley bustled back in, holding an armful of parchment.  
  
"Oh no she won't!" Ginny looked momentarily happy before she continued. "Her AND Draco will be staying at the Leaky Cauldron in a private section that won't be detected by You-Know-Who, so Draco will be safe from his father." I glanced around the kitchen at this moment and no one seemed to notice the small scuffle between mother and daughter, except Bill. He was viewing the scene with silent hilarity, and when he realized I was watching him the look vanished and he went about his business.  
  
"MUM!!!"  
  
"Ginny! I am not even going to argue about this! We have to be there soon, and you are going to floo to the Leaky Couldron, where Tom will help you into your separate rooms. You will stay there until we get home!!!"  
  
Before Ginny could rage and storm anymore, Mrs. Weasley walked away and beckoned Ginny and I to the fireplace.  
  
I myself was a little surprised, I didn't expect to go with the Order members but I guess I hadn't really expected to be left behind either. "What about our trunks?" I asked.  
  
"They'll get sent over, don't worry about it." She shoved the pot of floor powder under my nose roughly and I pinched a little bit of the shining powder with my finger. I threw the powder into the fireplace and stepped in, while green flames enveloped me.  
  
"The Leaky Cauldron." The scene of the restless people in the kitchen swirled away, replaced by ash and soot. Fireplaces roared by me, one after the other before I landed face down on a wooded floor in front of an old, stooped man who I assumed was Tom.  
  
"Hello, Mr. Malfoy. I hear you've changed a lot. I'm Tom the innkeeper, and once Miss Weasley shows up I will escort you to your room."  
  
"We share a room?" I realized that was a little rude. "Sorry, hi Tom. I'm Draco as you seem to know."  
  
As I was saying this Ginny came flinging out of the fire and landed on my back, as I was still kneeling on the floor. I was knocked onto my face for the second time in so many minutes and after regaining my knocked out breath, I realized Ginny was on top of me.  
  
Tom helped her up and she was blushing profusely, avoiding my eyes. "Well let's get along to your rooms, your trunks are already here, they just turned up maybe three second before you did.  
  
We were lead up a winding staircase, past story after story. I had no idea that the building was so tall. Finally we came to a landing that had a large, inconspicuous looking wooden door at the end of a long hallway. Without an explanation, Tom pointed his wand at Ginny. Before he even had a chance to open his mouth, I had knocked his wand to the floor and I had mine jabbed into his chin.  
  
"Mr. Malfoy! I was casting a spell so it can be only you two who get into your quarters!" He had his hands up, and looked rather alarmed.  
  
I considered him for a moment before lowering my wand and bending to pick up his. "I am so sorry! I'm a little jumpy right now, I'm sorry." I said, shoving his wand unceremoniously into his hands.  
  
"Well, it's all for the best I suppose, you have great reflexes, by the way. I have no doubts you can take care of yourself." Tom turned his gaze to Ginny, massaging his bruised neck. "You may want to take a leaf out of his book at times like these, Miss Weasley. No need to be paranoid, just a little extra cautious."  
  
Ginny nodded, smiling. "Okay, but what about those spells?"  
  
Tom nodded and pointed his wand hesitantly at Ginny, giving me a nervous glance. "Alonya et un." He turned to me, and waved his wand past my face, "Alonya finale."  
  
"What exactly does this do?" Ginny asked.  
  
"Only you and Mr. Malfoy here will be able to gain access to that doorway, or even this entire hallway. If you are in your rooms, you are completely safe and almost completely safe if you decide to go to Diagon Alley. I've been told to tell you that you aren't allowed in the Alley after dark and you must not go into muggle London." he looked at both of us in turn, "got it?"  
  
"Yes." We said together.  
  
"Then I will leave you alone to get into your new rooms, you will probably be here a good while, so you may as well unpack." Tom turned and disappeared back down the stairs, leaving me and Ginny standing in the empty hallway, determinedly looking away from the others face. Or at least I was.  
  
"Well let's go to our rooms, shall we?" Ginny turned and strode towards the door, then turned the large glass handle and pulled the door out into the hallway.  
  
I followed her into a small entrance square, which had a small coat closet across from it. From there I could see two identical rooms, one to the left of the entrance square and one to the right, which had the same twin sized bed, the same closet and dresser, and what looked to be the same bathroom leading off both rooms.  
  
"The one on the left is mine, that's my trunk." Ginny pointed to her red and gold trunk sitting by the bed, which was indeed on the left side of the rooms.  
  
"Right then, I'll just... go unpack." Out of habit, I hit the back of her shoulder in a sort of good bye, something I'd always done to my friends without thought. She jumped when I made contact with her shoulder and gave me a weird look, somewhere between fear and anger. She strode off into her section of room and slammed a door I hadn't even noticed was there, leaving me standing there, confused.  
  
You can't expect her to have forgiven you completely. Of course she'll be friendly enough around a whole bunch of family but the last thing she probably wanted to do was have to stay alone with you. You're still the enemy, I thought. This logic did not help me.  
  
I walked slowly into my room, feeling miserable. I was stuck in an inn room, with a girl that still hated me, and I couldn't even leave the Alley, even thought it was for my own safety. I found my trunk by my bed and started to put clothes into my dresser and closet, something I'd done three times in the last week. Once again, the photo album was at the bottom of the trunk, and I put it in a separate drawer, so I wouldn't have to see it all the time.  
  
I decided since I'd be here a while I wouldn't go down to Diagon Alley today, as it'll probably get old fast. I pulled out a book I'd been reading for a while and sat down on my bed after I'd thrown my almost empty trunk into the closet. I kept on reading the same sentence over and over again, listening to the creaking from the other room, as Ginny presumably walked around. After a few minutes it stopped and I could finally concentrate on my book, which somehow didn't seem as interesting as it had the last time I had pursued it.  
  
In the second I stopped reading when I turned the page, I heard a faint scratching sound and I realized Weasley must be writing a letter to someone or another. That'd certainly be amusing, and I had my owl which had, I guess, followed me to my current residence. The only problem was my lack of people to write to. I'd been allowed to write one explanatory letter to my mother, who had been instructed to burn it after reading it. Writing to my father didn't even occur to me and I had no sib- the thought was cut off mid word.  
  
What if I tried to write my sister? I had a few times, and my owl had come back with no reply, and I had always figured that she never got my letter, because why wouldn't she want to write her little brother? Me and my sister had gotten along great and right before she left, she said she was really sorry she had to go.  
  
I threw my book off the bed and onto the floor and practically flung myself down in the desk that had been provided. There were a few rolls of parchment, a bottle of ink and quill. I unrolled one of the sheaves of parchment and grabbed up a quill and ink. I decided to be really straightforward and simple, to ask where she is and what she's doing and why she never wrote me.  
  
It took me a few minutes to get started but once I did, it all came out.  
  
Cerise-  
  
I'm writing this with the intention of figuring out if you're still alive. If you don't reply I'll assume you for dead, what else am I supposed to think? I'm in hiding (sort of) from out father, who is presumably very angry with me after I denied being a Death Eater after I turned eighteen. I know you always hated what dad did, so I hope you'll be proud. I've missed you a lot, please write back!  
  
Draco Malfoy  
  
I didn't even reread the letter, just folded it, sealed it with the wax in the second drawer, and sent it off with my eagle owl.  
  
For not being that incredibly long of a letter, it had taken along time to write. I tried to get back to reading my book but I kept on getting distracted by sounds from next door, or I'd start to think about the letter I'd written. Would I get a response? Would she have a good reason for not writing to me or would it be a simple I didn't want to be a part of the family anymore, and that included you?  
  
I thought for a moment about how Ginny has reacted to me and I pulled out another, smaller piece of parchment and wrote a short note: G. Weasley- I'm sorry if I offended you, i didn't mean to. D. Malfoy. I folded it up, sealed it and sneaked into the hallway. Her door was still closed and I slipped the piece of parchment under it, hoping I wouldn't have to actually apologize in person, it wasn't my strong point.  
  
A few minutes later, I was sitting on my bed reading again, although not really taking it in. Without even realizing it, I fell asleep and my thoughts changed smoothly into dreams about random things, things without meanings.  
  
Where am I? I thought, looking around the dark room and out the window, which framed dozens of stars. Slowly it all came back to me. The members of the Order getting called away, and me and Ginny being stuck in this place. I realized I was really hungry, and I figured at least some places would still be open at whatever time of night it was.  
  
I dug around for the small bit of gold I had on my person and walked out my door into the entrance... thing. I considered waking Ginny up but I wasn't sure if she'd curse me through the wall or not.  
  
When I got to the brick wall that was the hidden entrance to Diagon Alley, I stood there for a moment, almost forgetting how to open the barrier. I hadn't had need to come here since the beginning of seventh year. Finally something clicked and I tapped the bricks and the wall melted away to reveal the long, twisted, moonlit path that was Diagon Alley.  
  
Sure enough, many of the stores were still open, mostly restaurants and cafés and such. I walked along the stone paved road, enjoying the night. I'd never been here at night and it was rather pretty, I stopped when I reached a small diner where they sold sandwiches and pasta. I walked in and no one seemed to notice me, which I was glad for.  
  
The menu was small and the choice was easy, fettuccini Alfredo with garlic bread. Since there was almost no one there, the order came quickly and I took my plate outside to eat on one of the tables in the moonlight.  
  
While I was eating a lot of people walked by, some I'd never seen before and some I knew from the Ministry, and even a couple of people from school. The Alley was very bright, considering it was night, because of the moon and the snow reflecting lights from the windows.  
  
A short, stocky figure crunched into my view and stopped in front of a restaurant across from the one I was eating at. I realized the person was in fact not stocky, but was wrapped in a large coat as he or she dug around in the pockets and came up with nothing. They sat down, looking defeated with their head in their hands.  
  
Suddenly I realized who the person must be. It was Ginny! Ginny was rather short and no one had hair that red except the Weasley's. I figured she didn't have any money and was hungry, neither of us had eaten since breakfast.  
  
Leaving the money for the food and tip, I went over and sat by Ginny, who didn't even realize I was there.  
  
"Ginny?" She almost fell out of her chair.  
  
"Malfoy! Do not EVER do that to me again! Jeez, you almost gave me a heart attack." She steadied herself on her chair and looked at me, as if calculating me.  
  
"Sorry! You just looked like you needed something." I said, referring to her searching her pockets.  
  
"Malfoy! You sick bastard! I thought you were at least tactful, and I DON'T need any, especially not from you!" She was standing up and screaming in my face. It took a second for everything to click into place, while I just stared bewilderedly at her face.  
  
"Oh!! Ginny I didn't mean it like that you were searching your pockets and I thought you needed something or were looking for something! I wasn't asking you anything like that!" I was waving my hands in defense, she looked ever bit like she would curse me until no one would recognize me..  
  
She glared at me. Several people on streets near us were staring.  
  
"Okay. You're right, I need something to eat I'm starving." She sat back down again. "And mum didn't give me any money."  
  
"Did you get my note?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah and I didn't mean to look at you like that, i didn't even know I did. I was still pissed off about being stuck at an inn while everyone else goes and fights." She looked rather bashful and I was relieved she believed me.  
  
"Do you want something to eat? I just ate, I have money left." Money was not an issue for me, as I had my own account at Gringott's and my father didn't have the key.  
  
"I don't need anything; I don't want you to waste your money on me." I knew the Weasley's didn't have all that much money and I felt bad they were doing so much for me.  
  
"Your family has done plenty for me, and I haven't done anything for you guys. Let me start now." Maybe she wouldn't be so grouchy if she ate.  
  
She hesitated and looked on the verge of saying no again. "Fine, just a little something though."  
  
At that moment a waiter came out and stood by the table, handing us both small square menus. "May I get you anything?"  
  
"I'm fine, get her whatever she wants." I handed the menu back to the man and he turned expectantly to Ginny, who still looked rather hesitant.  
  
"I'll have a French dip on whole wheat. With a small pumpkin juice." The waiter nodded, jotting it down on a small notepad.  
  
"Okay Mrs. That'll be out in a few minutes, are you sure you don't want anything, sir?" he looked back to me and I shook my head.  
  
"Well see that wasn't that hard. And it only costs a couple of sickles over a galleon." I said, but Ginny was staring after the waiter with a look on her face that was a cross between humored and incredulous. "What?"  
  
"He just called me Mrs." I didn't think this was a big deal, he probably called every girl with a guy with her Mrs.  
  
"Well, you were with a guy. How would he know?" I sipped at a glass of water the waiter had left.  
  
"Was I?" I didn't understand this question for a second then laughed.  
  
"Oh shut up! I am to a guy!" I dipped my fingers in the water and flicked some at her. "And a rather attractive one at that."  
  
"Yeah, sure sure. That's what they all say." At that moment the waiter came back with Ginny's order, oblivious to what he had caused.  
  
"Here you are, Mrs. Enjoy your meal and if you need anything just ask!" Again, he swept away and left the both of laughing silently, waiting until he was back inside to really let loose.  
  
"Us!! Married! Man that guy is really off his rocker." She took a bite of her sandwich. "You married for one thing. I don't think anyone will ever marry you. You're kind of not that type."  
  
Okay, so it hurt a little but it was true. To most people I probably did not seem the marrying type. "Everyone loves me! I am a Malfoy!"  
  
"An oo tink dat mafes eferyone luff you?" Her mouth was full and her eyebrows raised.  
  
"Well no." I thought for a moment. "You make it sound like I'm going to die alone."  
  
"Not alone, necessarily. Just-" her sentence was cut short however by two owls arriving simultaneously.  
  
One landed in front if Ginny and she put her sandwich down and went to open the letter, as I opened mine. As soon as I read the letter I remembered something Tom had told us. You aren't allowed to be in Diagon Alley after dark.  
  
We both stood up at the same time and ran into the street, snow crunching beneath us. Up the Alley we fled, past stores and restaurants, people and displays. As we got closer to the Inn the feeling of panic in my chest rose in me, coming into my throat and taking over my whole head.  
  
Within minutes we were safely in our rooms, undetected by Tom and still clutching the letters in our hands. "Do you think something happened? How'd they know we were out?" Ginny asked, out of breathe and leaning against the wall.  
  
"I don't know." We both stood there for a moment, catching our breath and thousands of possibilities running through our heads.  
  
"I think I'll go to bed." Ginny looked as if that was the last thing she was going to do. I didn't question her.  
  
"Okay, me too." We both turned and went our rooms, and I could hear her close her door.  
  
They probably just have owls out to catch us if we're out. Nothing happened, no one is hurt, nothing happened, nothing happened... I collapsed on my bed. Nothing happened, nothing happened, noth- I slipped into a deep sleep, even though I had planned to write someone to see if anything had happened.  
  
I woke with a start and looked around wildly, finding the thing that had woken me was a large barn owl. It was clawing my arm desperately, and I could see it had a letter in it's grasp.  
  
I pulled the letter off its leg and the owl had an extremely human like look of relief on its face. I opened the letter and gasped as I recognized the loose and slightly messy handwriting of my sister.  
  
Draco,  
  
I have a lot to explain, meet me at the entrance of Gringott's at noon tomorrow. Draw no attention to yourself or me.  
  
Cerise  
  
It was short and explained nothing, but she was alive! After nine years of not a word, not a hello or how are you, not a rumor from the Ministry or all the people I'd talked to. She was alive! I could feel tears start to well up, but I refused to cry. I hadn't cried in years.  
  
I could tell that I was supposed to be extremely secretive, and it made me wonder what she had been up to all these years. Maybe she was an undercover auror and couldn't be seen. Maybe someone was after her.  
  
The owl squawked loudly, obviously waiting for a reply. I scribbled one out, saying I'd be there and I'd missed her.  
  
Right as the barn owl flew swiftly out the window, a larger and far more foreboding looking eagle owl flew in, rather like my family's owl.  
  
I undid that letter to and the words, just like the letter form last night, brought a throbbing panic into my chest. I dropped it on the floor the words were still burning into my eyes.  
  
DANGER! Floo back home with Ginny NOW  
  
I ran towards the door, and as I opened it Ginny and me both crashed into the hall at the same time. For just the slightest moment we stood and looked at each other before we spoke at the same time.  
  
"We have to go."  
  
I nodded and turned, running with Ginny right by me. Down the long hallway, into the stairwell and down a million flights. Down another hallway, through the bar and right to the fireplace. Tom was running around, looking distressed.  
  
"Where are you going?!?" He ran towards us. "You're supposed to stay here!"  
  
"We got a note and we're leaving," I threw the powder past the hearth, "The Burrow!"  
  
Me and Ginny stepped in, and instantly i was being spun around in rapid succession, lights flashing before my eyes. Since we'd gone at the same time, Ginny kept crashing against me, and I against her. This is gonna cause some bruises.  
  
At last I was thrown, once again, face first onto the floor, covered in soot.  
  
I pushed myself up and brushed myself off, Ginny doing the same next to me. There was a crash from the kitchen and Ginny moved closer to me.  
  
"You're alive!"  
  
Mwa hahahahaha I bet you all hate me now! That was my goal. Lol not really..... anyways I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as possible, and you'll find out what this is all about.  
  
I love the people that review! I love them to no end!  
  
Mindless babble: thanks for the review I really appreciated it. You laughed until your mom threw a book at you? Lol that made me laugh. Don't get killed though cauz you gotta keep reviewing to my story! Plus you're just cool.  
  
Keeper of the Stars: I'm glad you like my story, and don't throw anything at me for not explaining what happened. I love my surf shorts and stuff! I can't till we go to water world! (I've decided we're going with or without Bryon)  
  
Mindless babble: thanks again for reviewing and thanks for adding me to your fave authors list, and I LOVE it when Draco is nice. In all reality, like in the books and stuff, I don't think Draco will turn nice but I can DREAM DAMMIT! I just like to picture everyone as nice..... it makes me fell better lol.  
  
I WANT REVIEWS!!!!! 


	7. who he is

Bonjour! Ça va tres bien, et toi?  
  
French Spasm. Anyways here I am with chapter seven and I realized after last chapter I should probably mention again I don't own Harry Potter or anything under the WB syndicate. jealousy  
  
GINNY'S P.O.V.  
  
We call them strong, those who can face this world alone, who seem to get by on their own, those who will never take the fall. We call them weak, who are unable to resist the slightest chance that might exist, and for that forsake it all.  
Standing outside the Fire, by Garth Brooks.  
  
Chapter Seven: Who he is  
  
DANGER. Floo home with Draco NOW. The words brought on a blind panic, and I crashed into the hallway right as Draco did the same thing.  
  
"We have to go." We said at the same time.  
  
All the way down the whole bloody staircase to the ground floor, and into the fireplace we went, only slightly hindered by Tom, the nervous innkeeper. Malfoy kept crashing against me since we went into the fireplace at the same time and I would have glared at him but I didn't dare open my eyes.  
  
WHAP. I hit the floor flat on my back, and stood up slowly, brushing soot off. There was a crash from the kitchen and I moved closer to Malfoy without even thinking about it.  
  
"You're alive!" The short and hysterical figure of my mum dashed into the room and all but threw herself on me, sobbing into my shoulder. I glanced at Malfoy questioningly. "I was so worried! I didn't know if the warning would get there in time and I knew you'd be unprepared and I knew you'd probably wander outside anyways because you never listen to what I say and I was just-" She sobbed again, "so worried."  
  
"Mum! You have to tell us what happened! You guys were supposed o be gone for longer than that, what happened?" I felt sorry for my mum, but I was also slightly impatient. "Mum! Calm, down we really are fine. We're home! We're fine, we're fine, we're both alright." At these words my mum wrenched out of my grasp and looked wildly around, her eyes resting on Draco.  
  
"And YOU." For a moment it looked like she was going to rip him apart limb from limb and I wondered vaguely if this was Malfoy's fault. "You had us all so worried; this is what this was all about! This was set up by your father to get back at you and they had lured us to Fulham because we thought there was going to be an attack there but really that was just a distraction to get you alone in Diagon Alley! What if after just barely a week you'd been hurt or KILLED!" She was shaking his shoulders as if he could do anything about this. Finally she stopped and took him into one of her suffocating bear hugs.  
  
The look on Malfoy's face was priceless, almost funny but not under the circumstances. He just stood there, arms pinned to the side and his face over her shoulder, looking shocked and sad at the same time. His eyes were big and for once I could picture him just a normal kid, not some snide and overly adultish self centered bastard. He pried one arm loose and awkwardly patted mum on the back, and caught my eye.  
  
He smiled but I knew from experience that it was a fake smile. I'd forced smiles many times, and I'd come to know what they looked like. I smiled back.  
  
Mum pulled away and hastily wiped her eyes. "Well, you're alright. I'm just a bit shaken. Come on, everyone should be getting here in a minute." And, sure enough, we heard a bunch of popping noises in rapid succession, signaling the arrival of the rest of the family.  
  
Ron, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Dad, Harry, Hermione, Alana, Meg, Vi, Fred, George, and Angelina came crashing through the door, shoving and pushing and looking like a heard of rhinos.  
  
The entire male population my close family, and Harry, engulfed me in a huge group hug and I heard little snips of sentences, mostly relief that I was alright. The girls held back, letting the family have me.  
  
After a second the group dispersed slightly and everyone was talking at once about how worried or scared they'd been and how relived they were. I couldn't help but notice Malfoy who, after the original attack of my mother, hadn't gotten any attention about being safe.  
  
Vi seemed to have noticed the same thing because she was watching Malfoy stare at his shoes with a look of pity. Everyone's attention was drawn when she dramatically pulled Malfoy into a hug and started to fake sob. "I was just so worried! What if something had happened to you.?!?"  
  
Draco smiled lightly at the joke and everyone finally noticed Malfoy, after Vi drew away. Everyone converged over him and shook his hand and said they were glad his father hadn't got there. I thought this wasn't exactly the thing he wanted to hear.  
  
Within a few minutes everyone was crashed on couches in the living room, just enjoying the peace. Finally i couldn't let them enjoy themselves anymore  
  
"What exactly happened?" Vi glared into her hands, and Mum tensed up.  
  
After a moments uncomfortable pause, Dad took his glasses off and cleaned them on his shirt, before starting to reply. "Dumbledore had a tip off from on of his spies that there was going to be an attack by a lot of You-Know-Who's high ranking Death Eaters in Fulham. He gathered us all there and after a while we realized no one was coming. An owl came and it had a letter signed and sealed by the Dark Mark. It said 'not the enemy, nor the mud blood, but the traitor'."  
  
"And that's me, huh?" Malfoy said it as though he thought it was a joke but I could tell it had shaken him up.  
  
"We're not even sure why he sent the letter, he would have gotten you if he hadn't." Dad's eyebrows were creased and he thought for another moment. "It doesn't make sense."  
  
Malfoy shrugged. "It probably had a purpose, most weird things they do like that do."  
  
"Why don't we all go to bed." Mum suggested. I've come to believe that's her answer for everything.  
  
"If only I was tired. At all." I said.  
  
"Well everyone else is, so at least be quiet in your room!" She got angry all the sudden (as she usually did after worrying and fretting) and stomped out of the room.  
  
Slowly, one by one (or rather couple by couple), people left and went up to their rooms. After a while it was just me, Malfoy, Harry, and Vi sitting in the living room.  
  
"Well, how'd your guys' time go?" Vi asked, looking at Draco and me in turn.  
  
"The maybe twelve hours we were there were great. I love being left behind and not knowing what's going on." It wasn't the most polite thing to say but I knew Vi was rather sarcastic herself so she wouldn't mind.  
  
"Well we're sorry! I know you're capable of doing what the rest of us do but you're not out of school yet and Dumbledore only wanted Order Members there. You don't even have half a year left."  
  
"I didn't think Malfoy would let himself get left behind like that." Harry was looking furtively at Malfoy, but addressing him as though he wasn't there.  
  
"Harry." Vi needed say no more.  
  
"Sorry. Paranoid," Harry stood up and dug his hands into his pockets. "I think I'll to our room, Vi. You coming?"  
  
Vi shook her head. "I think I'll talk to Ginny a bit longer. I'll be up in a couple minutes."  
  
Harry nodded and disappeared up the stairs.  
  
"Sorry, Harry s trouble trusting new believers. It's that damned prophesy! He thinks there's too much at stake for him to take chances." Vi was glaring at us, but not really at us. I knew the glare wasn't meant for us.  
  
"Well I was an ass hole. Even if the war wasn't going on I don't think he'd trust me." Malfoy said.  
  
"Well maybe things will change after a while. With bad things come good." She stood up and stretched. "Well I am actually a little tired. I only fell asleep for about two hours, and I wasn't supposed to. So if anyone asks I didn't."  
  
"Goodnight." I said. I yawned so big I closed my eyes and when I opened them, I realized I was alone in the room with an uncomfortable looking Malfoy who was gazing at his hands.  
  
"So. How'd you get Dumbledore to trust you?" I asked.  
  
"I dunno. I just told him what my dad said to me and how I didn't want to be a part of it. I was surprised he believed me actually, I didn't really have that much proof." He stood up. "I think I'll go to bed. Or at least be quiet in my room."  
  
I smiled, trying to be friendly. "I was thinking the same thing. I'm not tired at all but I might as well go up to my room and let everyone else sleep."  
  
"Yeah." We both started up the stairs and he opened his door to his room, and I thought he was gone.  
  
Right before I closed my door I heard the smallest voice say "Goodnight."  
  
I listened carefully but I didn't hear a sound. You imagined that.  
  
I stood in the doorway of my room. Sure enough, there was absolutely nothing to do. I knew I couldn't fall asleep; I'd only woken up a few hours ago. I shuffled through the books on my bookshelf and made sure I'd done all my homework. I sat on my balcony for a minute but that was boring too. What I really wanted to do was go out to the little lake at the back end of our property, but I knew it was likely that my mother would check on me several times because of how stressed she'd been that I'd be dead.  
  
Even if I wasn't doing anything by the lake it was always fun. I also figured the sun might be coming up soon, although I was still hopelessly confused at what time it was.  
  
I decided to just go and leave a note. We were at our house, what could happen. Plus I don't think anyone would try anything the night after their previous attempt had failed.  
  
Mom, don't freak out I just went to the lake for a while and I figured you'd check on me. I wasn't tired and I was bored, be back soon.  
  
I tossed the note onto my pillow and wrapped a thick burgundy cardigan around me. I was still wearing jeans and long sleeved T shirt and the night was rather warm for January.  
  
I crept down the stairs and I had to stuff my fist in my mouth to stop from giggling. Whenever I had to be quiet I started to giggle, it was a curse. And it had gotten me caught many times. Shut up. You're going to get caught and whoever catches you will lecture you on how you shouldn't go out at night. Shut up. The giggling got worse. SHUT UP. Right when I closed the back door and was out in the night I let out a bark of laughter and immediately regretted it. I didn't move a muscle for a couple moments and when I didn't hear anything I bolted into the sprinkling of ash trees in the back yard.  
  
That could have been bad. Now, to the lake. I walked slowly through the trees and over felled logs. Under the trees the snow wasn't very deep, not even an inch.  
  
I sighed once I got to the edge of the lake; it was just as pretty as it always was. The edge of the lake was frozen over and the water in the middle peacefully reflected the moon above.  
  
I didn't even hear anyone approach so I almost didn't react fast when I felt somone's hand on my shoulder. I grabbed the hand, and twisted under it so the person behind me was now in front of me with his back towards me and his arm twisted behind his back rather painfully.  
  
I recognized the platinum blonde hair and a surge of anger ran through me. He hadn't changed! "Malfoy! What the fuck are you doing here?" I twisted him arm farther, for now ensuring that he'd talk.  
  
"I thought someone had taken you." Malfoy's scornful sarcastic drawl had returned and that, for me, proved it.  
  
"Don't fuck with me; I know you were trying to do something. WHAT?" I dug my fingernails into his arm.  
  
"I wasn't! Jesus I heard someone laugh and I figured it was some of my father's friends coming back to kidnap you, to get me." He sounded impatient now, but I wasn't about to let go.  
  
"You didn't see it was just me? I was alone for heaven's sake, how could you think I was being kidnapped?"  
  
"Yeah well it was also dark. I didn't want to take any chances." He said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
I paused, searching for something else to mask my overreaction and accuse him of. "Why didn't you just leave me alone after you realized I was fine?"  
  
"I was going to talk to you." He sounded defeated, his shoulders hunched and his attempts to get free stopped.  
  
I was still mad, even though I couldn't find a justifiable reason why. So I threw him on his face into the cold dirt in front of us. That felt good.  
  
After a moment he was standing up straight in front of me trying to look dignified. It didn't exactly work with him rubbing his wrist and dirt all over his face.  
  
Even thought I really didn't want to, I felt I owed him it. "I'm sorry."  
  
"More cautious my ass." He muttered darkly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Tom said you could learn to be more cautious. I think you're plenty so." I smiled at this and he gave me a dirty look in return.  
  
"Well you sneak up on me after dark and put your hand on my shoulder." He tried to keep on glaring, but finally gave me a week smile.  
  
"What were you doing out here anyways?" He gestured towards the dark, shimmering lake and the ash trees around us.  
  
"I like this place. There was nothing else to do and I was bored, plus I couldn't fall asleep." Since when did I explain myself to people who barged in?  
  
"Oh. It's......" he didn't finish his sentence. And I didn't really feel like saying anything else so I just sat down on the bench a few dozen feet from the water. It was charmed to deflect rain and snow and always felt slightly warm, like it has sat in the sun all day. I wasn't sure but I think it had been an anniversary gift from my dad along time ago, way before I was born.  
  
After a few minutes Malfoy hesitantly sat down on the bench, as far away as he could be without falling off. I didn't really care that he was there, the lake was still peaceful and the snow was still beautiful and I was no longer cold because of the bench.  
  
I smiled faintly as I thought about my friends, who I missed. I had a lot of friends that had left school last year but my close ones in my year were Ashley Quick, Shannon Coyle, Skylar Kunce, and Vanessa Schaefer. We were really close and got bored easily without each other. That's the only thing I didn't like about the two week extra vacation time, was that I didn't see my friends for another two weeks. We could make everything funny and when all the other groups of friends were fighting, we were laughing on the sidelines.  
  
After awhile I forgot Malfoy was there, as I could barely see him from the way I was sitting. I tried to get more comfortable by swinging my legs onto the bench, and stopped when I remember Malfoy was still there. He had scooted more onto the bench, so he wasn't about ready to fall off and was much closer to me. His head was tipped, resting on the back of the bench with his eyes closed.  
  
He looked relaxed, but I could tell he wasn't asleep. I had an urge to jump on him or grab him around the head just to get revenge but I couldn't bring myself to. Although it would have been funny. I didn't like it when people disturbed my peace.  
  
"I'm not asleep." I blushed. Malfoy knew I was watching him, even though he'd never opened his eyes.  
  
"I didn't think you were. I was contemplating throwing you in the lake." I told him, ignoring certain other thoughts I had been having, which were slightly less pure in nature.  
  
"That would have been fun."  
  
"Fun? It's freezing, it's January in case you'd forgotten."  
  
"No, I hadn't forgotten, today is the fifteenth. Twelve days." He paused and went on. "And I meant fun because I would have pulled you in after me, therefore defeating the point of your revenge."  
  
He didn't have to tell me what he meant by twelve days, I knew it was the time until he was supposed to become a Death Eater. "Oh. Well, then I guess I won't throw you in the lake," I paused, wondering if I should ask this, 'if you'll tell me what your father would do if he found you."  
  
His eyes opened and for a second I thought I'd said to much and he was going to get up and walk away, but he just straightened and looked me in the eye. "Who do you think I am?" He didn't say it accusingly or like he was angry, he just sounded politely curious.  
  
It definitely was not something I had expected him to say. "Well...." I thought for a moment. Should I say what I used to think he was or what I was starting to believe he was? My ideas about him had changed so much in so little time it was hard to think about the person he has been back in school. It was a whole other reality. "I guess I've changed my mind a lot. I thought you were stuck up and ready and willing to kill us for along time there at school. But then you ditched the dark side of your own accord and seemed just barely your old self. I don't know what to think." He seemed to realize I wasn't done and let me continue. "I've thought off and on the whole time you were here that you were good or bad, traitor to the dark side, or just a spy. I wasn't sure at all but I've never not trusted Dumbledore in my life and why stop now?"  
  
He nodded and opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off, I wasn't done yet.  
  
"I always thought I knew you, or least knew what you were like but every now and then you'd do something completely against all that I thought was you, even in school. I saw you one time pick up a little first year's roll of parchment and give it to her, before she left it on the floor and you even smiled at me one time when I'd yelled at Harry and then I heard you telling off Crabbe for something like being an ass hole to a little kid. I don't understand it, it's like there's you, the you that you get when you're just you normally but it's also like that normal you is just a shield, or barrier between the different you that I have to say I'm a whole lot more fond of. When you came here it was like the wall was broke down and you had nothing else to lose and the other you was showing through the old you and so I just don't know which you is you, or if there even is two yous, maybe this is all just an act." I wasn't sure if I'd lapsed into ancient Greek while rambling, Malfoy looked confused enough and I wasn't even sure this made sense, I'd never even thought about it before. "I guess I'd like to find out."  
  
He just sat there. I suddenly realized how incredibly dumb that had sounded, it's like there's a you, but then a different you? What the fuck is my problem? After a second I noticed that I'd leaned forward while talking to him, and he'd scooted even farther onto the bench. We were as close as we could be without being on top of each other.  
  
I could feel his breathe on my face and he had an odd look of restraining himself. If I was honest with myself I knew I was restraining myself too, restraining myself from closing the small but infinitely huge gap between our lips. Once again, he did something completely out of character and said something (or rather did something) that I didn't expect him to do.  
  
"I'd like you to find out." He whispered, and with that he pushed himself off the bench and walked with his hands in his pockets into the trees, disappearing into the darkness.  
  
If I had to pick a pivotally confusing moment of my life, I would have to pick this one. I'd always hear about what a Playboy Malfoy was at school and how he'd make out with (or do rather more than making out) anyone who was remotely pretty.  
  
Why didn't he kiss me then? Was I really that ugly? Or did he honestly just hate me? No, if he hated me I don't think he would have said that last sentence. What did that last sentence mean? I sat there in confusion, contemplating what Malfoy had said and thinking about what I had said and what he could have meant.  
  
I sat there for a long time, knowing and wishing what had almost happened had. I kept on telling myself it was stupid, even if he was changed a bit, he was still Malfoy. Then I thought about what that meant to me. When I thought about Malfoy I thought about evil and Death Eater's and the Dark Lord. I thought about hate and prejudice and how little things made so much difference among humans. When I thought of Draco though, I thought of what he'd done lately. Being nice (mostly) to everyone and trying to stem off fights that Harry tried to start.  
  
I guess names didn't really mean that much. By being a Weasley I was related to having red hair and a lot of freckles and sibling, but that doesn't mean you know me. I'd thought so many times about how Malfoy was so prejudice, but what about all the times I had been prejudice? I guess by thinking Malfoy, no, Draco, was prejudice against everything was being prejudice myself.  
  
A reddish glow on the horizon appeared and I stood up. Dawn was coming.  
  
I wandered back to the house, feeling slightly embarrassed and hoping I wouldn't run into Draco. I fell on my bed fully clothed, my thoughts still chasing each other around my head.  
  
Who was Malfoy? He was Draco, the one that had suffered his father for years, until he finally got up the courage to do what he thought was right. He was the child who had had his family ripped apart by the same monster as so many people had, yet no one felt sorry for him. He was someone who knew that most people hated him just for what his father had been, and when the time came, he chose to be the hero and not take the easy way out. I had thought Draco had learned a lot by coming to our side, but now I think I learned the most by him coming.  
  
Wow. That was one big orgy of corniness! Lol oh well, I'll try not to do it again.  
  
Anyone like it? Anyone with suggestions? If your going to flame me just go and shove it up your ass, you shouldn't have read this far if you didn't like it.  
  
The song at the beginning of the chapter kind of fit but it kind of didn't..... it made sense to me.  
  
I LEAVE FOR AUSSIE IN EIGHT DAYS!!!!!!!! 7-6-04, so I leave the fourteenth  
  
WHY THE MO ISNT FAN FICTON LETTING ME ADD MY CHAPTER!!??!?!?!?!? IT SAYS CONNECTION TIME IS TO GREAT OR SOMETHING. Stupid piece of shit. It might take a while to get this chappie up. Yup I just checked the sight and they said it was in a read only mode until they can find a correction, because something corrupted the main database. argh. 


	8. parting is such a sweet sorrow

I leave for Australia the fourteenth!!!!!! I am so excited cauz I've never been there and I get to see my sister and is anybody that reads this story from Aussie? Just wondering... Probably not. Anyways my point is I'm going to try and get this chapter up, so it might be a little shorter than the rest. I just want to get this up cauz I'll be gone for three weeks and you know, my all of three readers will just be so impatient for me to update. Or at least I like to tell myself that.  
  
Hmmmm... you know what would be cool? If I came back to a whole bunch of reviews. sigh that'd be great. I'm hinting here, people. Very blatantly.  
  
DRACO'S P.O.V.  
  
Chapter Eight: parting is such a sweet sorrow  
  
"I'd like you to find out." I whispered and forced myself to get up and walk away. I was not going to get into this. This was insane. No, it wasn't insane! I didn't like that little Weasley anyways! So it's not even a problem for me to walk away. I don't really care that I'd be putting her in danger to get involved; it's the fact that I don't like her. I don't. I won't. It's not even an issue.  
  
By the time I got to the house, there were streaks of red and yellow stretching out towards the rest of the sky from the horizon, signaling the sun was rising. Little Weasley hadn't followed me, thank goodness. I didn't want to run into her again, I was embarrassed for some reason.  
  
I walked into my room and looked around desperately for something to distract myself. I found a book about dragons stuffed into the back of the desk. Maybe this had been Charlie's old room; I think he works with dragons.  
  
These species are found only in the most northern regions of Russia, preferring to stay in small caverns and tunnels in the snow, which sometimes collapse, taking unsuspecting muggles and wizards into the chasms of...  
  
I felt like I'd been thrown into a chasm, even more so with what just happened. I was lost in a tunnel of confusion, and Ginny was the dragon. I didn't know what to think, I didn't want to be thinking these things in the first place. If my father knew that I was staying with the Weasley's he'd go after their whole family with a passion, with the direct purpose of killing them instead of just wanting them out of the way. It'd be ten times worse if he knew I was involved.... Well, that way with any of the 'blood traitors'.  
  
After a few minutes I fell asleep put of pure mental exhaustion, even though my body was restless and my eyes had trouble keeping closed.  
  
"What in the blazes does he think he's doing?!" Once again, when we all least expected it, an owl came flying in, with a letter that could mean nothing but trouble.  
  
"What Molly, what is it?" Mr. Weasley rushed across the living room (where a few scattered people were lounging) and stood behind her, reading over her shoulder.  
  
"No! This isn't even thinkable! Right after what just happened, they'll all be outraged that they failed; I'm not going to let him go out like this! No, I'll just have to talk to Dumbledore about this; this isn't going to fly with me."  
  
"Molly, I'm sure Dumbledore knows what he's doing, he's never led us wrong before." It was a hopeless argument though; even I knew that from my short stay in the Weasley household. If Molly was going to argue about something, she was going to win. At least with her husband.  
  
I went back to playing exploding snap with the twins and Angelina.  
  
"Sooooo, Malfoy did you really come over to our side, or is this all just an act?" Fred said, removing a card from the towering pile.  
  
"Oh however did you find out?" I said expressionlessly, and Fred laughed.  
  
Angelina grinned. "I'm not used to you being funny in the ha ha way."  
  
"Father's order's"  
  
"I see." Angeilina said, removing her card.  
  
"Probably not, but that's all you need to know." I was saying it jokingly even though it was true.  
  
I looked up and saw Ginny sneaking up behind George, who was concentrating on the pile of cards in front of him. When Ginny saw me notice her, she blushed and put her finger up to her lips in the universal sign of 'shhhh'.  
  
RAWR! Ginny screamed in his ear and grabbed his neck, and he screamed in a high pitched voice before knocking the whole pile over, blowing up in his face and singing his eyebrows.  
  
He squirmed around on the couch and pulled her by her arms onto the cough next to him, and started to tickle her. "George- I'm- going to- kill- you!" Ginny said between gasps. George just laughed, and in that second of weakness, Ginny squirmed out of his grasp and lunged out of his reach; coincidentally, that path was right onto my lap.  
  
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Her face was bright red and I could feel my own treacherous cheeks beginning to feel warm. She leaped off and George and Fred were just barely staying on the cough, they were laughing so hard. Angelina was politely sniggering into her hands.  
  
"I hate you." Ginny glared at George, which just made him laugh harder. The laughing itself made me laugh, hardly anyone ever laughed in my house, and the look that Ginny gave me made me laugh even harder and me laughing made Fred and George laugh harder and when Bill walked in with all of us laughing hysterically and Ginny standing in the middle, giving everyone dirty looks, he started laughing too.  
  
After a few moments I noticed Ginny's mouth was twitching and finally she just laughed too, kneeling on the floor next to Fred.  
  
"What...?" Percy walked in just then and, smiling weakly, left again. I wondered what the matter was.  
  
Ginny had noticed Percy too and had stopped laughing, looking at the spot where Percy had last been with a teary sadness. Now I really wondered what was the matter with Percy. Ginny saw me watching her and the sadness cleared up, replaced by a savagely defiant glare.  
  
_Why_ was she so confusing? Jeez, everything about this place was confusing, things about Vi and Percy that I obviously didn't know and everyone laughing and forgiving, this was all way different from what I was used to.  
  
My thoughts were interrupted by Mrs. Weasley storming back in, and for one hopeful moment I thought she was going to shed some light on what her and MR. Weasley had been talking about. The hopes were thrown out the window as she started to talk. "Ginny, do you have all the school supplies you need?" Mrs. Weasley was glaring at her almost as if she wanted her to say no, giving her a reason to yell at her.  
  
"Yes mum, and all the stuff I don't need until then is packed." Ginny said, still looking past her mothers shoulder to wear Percy had disappeared.  
  
"Fine." She huffed, and stomped out.  
  
"You know, I wonder what her and dad were talking about." Fred said thoughtfully, surprising me. I thought I had been the only one to hear this conversation.  
  
"Well, said George in mock concentration, "Who do we know that concerns us that shouldn't go out in public because certain someone's will be pissed they failed?" Her put his finger on his chin and stared at Fred, who was glaring right back.  
  
He muttered something incoherently that didn't seem to bother George.  
  
"I figured they were talking about me too, i suppose I'm not supposed to leave the house."  
  
"Well where would you go?" Ginny asked, and for a second I swear I saw concern in those eyes before it was replaced by emotionless curiosity.  
  
"I have no where else to go, I guess." Why did that make me feel so helpless? Maybe because you are helpless, I thought.  
  
"And plus we want you to stay around, your starting to grow on us all." Vi had walked in, closely followed by Harry who looked disgruntled. "Aren't we!?"  
  
She elbowed Harry, who started and put on a fake smile. "Yeah!"  
  
Ginny laughed. "Wow, Harry you should be an actor."  
  
Harry scowled. "Well fine! He's not growing on me but I'll put up with him."  
  
"Thanks... I guess.... I'm not entirely sure." Everyone laughed and Harry smiled half heartedly.  
  
The days passed slowly, crawling by in lazy haze. I talked animatedly with people I thought I'd known for along time, and people I was just getting to know. I ate tons of fabulous food made by Mrs. Weasley and met members of the Order that stopped by to talk to their fellow members. All these people seemed especially surprised to see me, especially Moody who blatantly showed that he didn't like or trust me.  
  
All these chats that excluded me and Ginny (the only non-Order members in the house) gave us a lot of time to talk and by the time Ginny was to leave for school, I guess you could say I was friends with her. It was still a little awkward, the repercussions of that one night still radiating around me. I told myself that it would have been worse if I had gone on with it. At least she wasn't furious with me.  
  
"Ginny! We have to get you to the train! You're packed right?!?!" Mrs. Weasley was running around like mad and I could tell this was old stuff for all the members of the family, who avoided her bustling form with skill that can only be acquired by numerous times experiencing the same thing.  
  
"Well... almost." I'd lied to my father enough to know she wasn't exactly telling the truth. And I was sure that Mrs. Weasley knew that too, as she glared up the stairs and then rushed up to sort things out, hindered only by me, who hasn't quite as used to jumping out of her way.  
  
"Oh, sorry dear, I just have to-" she didn't even finish her sentence because a series of loud clunking noises. It sounded suspiciously like a body falling down the stairs.  
  
And, sure enough I saw the blurred form of Ginny rolling down the stairs, her hair flying all over the place. As is custom when people fall down the stairs, they stop when the ground evens out. Either that or they fall into the arms of an unsuspecting, rather flustered victim that happens to be standing at the end of the stairs. And wouldn't you know it that unsuspecting victim was me.  
  
Once again we were in a really embarrassing situation, where Ginny ended up in my arms. That just seemed to happen a lot. "That's the SECOND time I've done that, only last time it wasn't my fault." Then she seemed to realize who had his arms under her arms, holding her up. Namely me. "Oh! I'm sorry, I'm such a freak I can't even walk down the stairs." She looked quite as flustered as I felt and straitened out her clothing that had twisted around her to the point where they looked almost obscene.  
  
She was blushing a deep red and Mrs. Weasley rushed up behind Ginny, and gave her a big hug. "Oh! You could have been hurt i thought for sure Fred and George had done it again, but I guess not. It's a good thing you were there, Draco." Then she got back down to business. "Pack! Otherwise you're walking to Hogwarts!"  
  
Ginny grumbled and stomped up the stairs, leaving me alone and embarrassed at the end of the staircase.  
  
Someone came up behind me, and I turned to see Bill standing there. "Niiiiice. I like your style." This confused me, my style at what?  
  
"Huh? My style at what?"  
  
"How you caught her, I wouldn't have thought of that."  
  
I gawked at him, surely he was not suggesting what I thought he was suggesting. "What are you saying?"  
  
"How would I have thought of that? I didn't plan her falling down the loody stairs! She could have gotten hurt!" I didn't like where this was going, this didn't seem like Bill at all. This seemed like some unknown, womanizing Bill who I hadn't met before. This seemed like a sleezy, slightly creepy Bill that hadn't quite come out yet.  
  
He grinned and slapped my shoulder. "aw, I was just kidding mate. And you've proved yourself by me, good job. Remember, I'm the protective older brother you have to go through some kind of test to get by me to my sister unscathed."  
  
I was glad he was joking about the first part but it still seemed like he was suggesting something that was most definitely not true. "So, you're saying you think I like your sister?" I tried to sound like it was funny, and that he was crazy for thinking it but I think It came out more of a guilty affirmative.  
  
"Well yes I was actually. And I don't think, I know." He walked off, leaving me alone, embarrassed, and now confused. I was very rarely either of those things, except the alone part. I'd been alone often enough.  
  
I shook my head and started up the stairs, right as Mrs. Weasley started down. I got out of her way, almost as skillfully as the other occupants of the house and continued up the stairs. I almost reached my room without another embarrassing inident, but that would have been to much to hope for.  
  
Ginny walked backward out of her room, lugging a heavy trunk behind her. She dropped it when she saw me and straitened up, brushing hair out her face.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Hey, leaving soon?" I asked. I was pretty sure I succeded in sounding indifferent.  
  
"Yup, right now in fact. I don't think anyone else is coming, they're all staying here. No leaving committee for me of course." She laughed shifted her weight to the other foot, looking uncomfortable.  
  
"Ahh, you have one here. Everyone will miss you, I'm sure."  
  
"Everyone?" she asked, looking me straight in the eye and I started to gaze somewhere past her left shoulder.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Never mind, well anyways bye." She held out her hand and I shook it, still not meeting her eye. All the sudden it felt very real to me I wasn't going to see her for another few months at least and I pulled her into a hug. She stiffened up but then relaxed, awkwardly patting my back.  
  
And again my face heated up as I pulled away. I was starting to think my face had some sort of complex. I never blushed. Malfoy's never blushed. But yet that didn't stop my treacherous cheeks from turning red and she was looking away now too, suddenly fascinated by her left shoe.  
  
"Well then, bye. See you in a while. Good luck." She met my eye at the last part and through all the things people had said about things being fine, that phrase meant more to me than it all.  
  
"Thanks. You too." She picked up her trunk again. "You want me to get that?"  
  
"You could help." I walked by her and picked the other side, and slowly we made it down the stairs without incident. I had begun to think the staircase was after me.  
  
A while later I was sitting in my room, once again trying to distract myself. But I gave up. There was one thing on my mind. A certain head strong, red headed, pretty thing with an addictive laugh.  
  
And the chapter ends! It was a little longer than I had expected but still short. I promise the next one will be longer.  
  
And to the reviwers!  
  
Foolish Fish: Yes, you should read the next chapter. Lol I'm glad you like it and I like the thought of Draco being nice too although I don't; think it'll happen in the books and stuff.  
  
Keeper of the Stars: Hi lover!!! Lol I'm glad you like it you better have written a few more chapters of your story by the time I get back cauz it's awesome!! Two more by the time I get back!!! That is your goal!  
  
**I can show you the world!!!! Shining shimmering splendid, tell me princess now when you did you last let your heart decide! I can open your eyes take you wonder by wonder over sideways and under on a magic carpet ride!!!!!! A whooole new world!!!  
**  
Sorry. Had a little Aladdin spasm. Why Aladdin you ask? Because Aladdin is fing AWESOME. 


	9. Training Camp

IM BACK FROM AUSTRALIA!!!! Wow. Those three weeks went by really fast.... Anyways I'll try and get back on a roll with the story, I bet no one's even reading it. I barely remember what's happening with my story.... I'll have to read back.

Unlike my last chapter hinted, I didn't get ANY reviews in the three weeks I was gone. Come on people, at least humor me. Dude this incense smells so good, its strawberry and it actually smells like strawberry. Normally incense just smells like smoke to me... whoa I just reread chapter seven and it was SO CORNY! Plus there's spelling mistakes all over the bloody place.

Ginny's P.O.V.

Chapter nine: Training Camp

I was glaring again. I seemed to be glaring a lot recently, especially at things that can't tell I'm glaring at them, like trunks and doors and staircases and the other side of the compartment. Which is what I was currently partaking in glaring at. I was grouchy because I hadn't been able to find my friends on the train, normally we made plans to meet before we even get on the train but the delay had messed that up and I was sitting alone in a compartment looking like a reject.

Way before I was done glaring, the door burst open and Ashley trudged in, looking delighted. "Ginny! Jesus, where the hell have you guys been? Do you know where the rest of 'em are?" She said without giving me a chance to reply.

"No, I've been sitting here alone, but I'm SO glad to see you!" I got up and pulled the other side of her trunk up and helped her throw it up into the luggage rack.

"We should go look for them again, give us something to do." Ashley hated sitting still on the train which resulted us in wandering the train most years.

"Surely. Lock the trunks." We locked our trunks and strode into the corridor that leads to the rest of the compartments. I looked through the windows and saw some other friends, and people I didn't know and people I hated. It was odd that there was no Harry and no Ron and Hermione arguing and no Malfoy coming to pick a fight with Harry.

We walked around, looking into compartments and saying hi to people. Ashley stopped and talked to a Steven kid she was friends with, and I bought some licorice off the lady with the cart.

"So, what did you do over Christmas break?" Ashley asked.

I opened my mouth to answer but what was I supposed to say? Finally I just cracked up. Ashley raised her eyebrows and looked at me like I was crazy. "Well, it's kind of hard to say." By this time we were back at our compartment and settling back into our seats.

"Well we have plenty of time, you might as well tell me." Ashley took a rubber band off her wrist and pulled back her dark curly hair.

"Well, remember how I hate Malfoy?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes."

I got up and made sure no one was listening. "Ashley, you can't tell ANYONE this, other wise the person I'm going to tell you about will probably end up getting killed. This is serious." She looked slightly skeptical. "It is! NO ONE other than you and Sky and Shann and Vana after they get here can know this! He'll get killed! I'm not even kidding!"

"Ginny! Whoa whoa whoa, clam down I wouldn't tell anyone even if it wasn't a big deal. Have any of us ever told your secrets, or anyone else's for that matter?" Ashley asked.

"No. Sorry, I know you wouldn't. But he could get KILLED if this gets out so we have to be very careful." I was starting to regret deciding to tell my friends about Draco, I wanted to but I wasn't sure if I should, even though I knew for a fact they wouldn't tell anyone.

"Well why don't we start by you telling me who we're talking about. It's not that Malfoy prick is it? That'd be really weird."

"Well it is that Malfoy prick. Only he's not a prick anymore." Again, Ashley looked skeptical. "A few days after Christmas I think, Dumbledore was going to bring a person that was coming over to our side to our house since he had no where else to stay that was safe, and our house was really safe after all the spells on our house from the attack on Christmas."

"You got attacked on Christmas?!"

"Yes, but that's a different story, let me finish."

"Sorry, but by Death Eaters?"

"Yes. Anyways though he wouldn't tell us who he was and of course none of us would ever have guessed Malfoy before he came out of the fireplace and we all thought Dumbledore was crazy. Dumbledore said he'd come to our side at a huge risk to himself and that he trusted him so we should all trust him and at least be civil."

"Don't tell me everyone thinks Malfoy's good now." Ashley said scornfully.

"Well, no not everyone I don't think Harry really believes it yet-"

"Well I can see why! Think of all the things Malfoy's family has done!"

"Exactly! Malfoy's FAMILY has done!" I knew that Draco had some pretty nasty things on his own but it all went back to what his father wanted him to do.

"What about all the things Malfoy did though? He wouldn't have blinked an eye if Harry or Ron or Hermione or you or me or anyone else had been killed right in front of him! He _hated _us!"

"He didn't like us because his _father _didn't want him to! If his father hadn't been such an ass, then Draco wouldn't have been because he was just under his father's orders."

"I don't believe you." Ashley crossed her arms stubbornly.

"You wouldn't, but if you met him and hung out with him as much as I have for the past bloody month you'd agree! It's not an act either; he's done things that have proved that to me."

"Like what?"

"Like-" I had no intention of bringing up the night at the lake.

"See! You can't think of anything!"

"Yes I did but I'm not about to tell you!"

"You did something with him didn't you!" She looked disgusted but amused never the less.

"No! Ashley you're gross!"

"Skylar is worse."

"I know but you're still gross!"

"Then _what?!" _

"Well you know how I like to go to that lake?"

"Yup."

"Well I went out at night one time and Malfoy followed me but I didn't realize it until I got to the lake and he tapped my shoulder. I freaked out and thought he was trying to attack me and I did the arm twisty thing."

Ashley winced. "Ouch, nice one Ginny."

"I yelled at him and asked what he was trying to do and he said he thought someone was kidnapping me-"

"Oh what bull shit! What kind of story is that?" I was beginning to think the scornful skepticism on Ashley's face was stuck.

"I know, I know but he said he heard me and didn't want to risk it and I asked him why he followed me after he knew I was fine and he said he was going to talk to me all defeated like, and so I had to believe him, he wasn't doing anything. If he'd wanted to do anything to me he would have done it while my back was turned."

"That's true."

I started talking really fast, trying to curb my growing embarrassment. "Anyways I sat down on that bench and was just sitting there and after a while he sat down and he was about as far away from me as he could get without falling off the bench-"

"That wouldn't prove to me that he was nice."

"What do you think he should have done, sat on my lap?"

"True again."

"Anyways! We were sitting there and we got to talking about who I thought he was and I talked on forever about how he'd changed and I finished by saying 'I guess I'd like to find out.'"

"Only you would get into to a conversation with Malfoy about who he was." Ashley said, shaking her head.

"Shut up. Stop interrupting me." I started talking even faster, this was _embarrassing. _"And all the sudden we were really close and I swear to god he was going to kiss me but he-said-I'd-like-you-to-find-out-and-left." I looked determinedly at my feet.

"Well he didn't take advantage of you, that's good." Ashley said.

I looked at her. "You don't think I'm crazy?"

"Well, your smarter than most and I don't think you'd jump into something without looking and if he does anything to you he won't have to worry about anyone else killing, I'll do it for them."

"Are you implying that I like him?" This is not were I was hoping the conversation would go.

"You're going to deny that are you?" She asked, laughing.

"Yes I am! I didn't have anything to do with that kiss!"

"So you really did kiss!"

"_NO!" _

"Okay! But I think you like him."

"You just go and think whatever you want. But you can't tell ANYONE about this, don't even talk about it because if it gets out his father might find out and his father would kill him if he found out where he was."

"I won't tell a soul, I will forget I heard it."

"Good."

"So, how is everyone else getting on with this new and improved Malfoy?" Ashley threw her legs out onto the rest of the seat and stretched out.

"Well, I don't think it would have gone as well as it did if people that hadn't known him were there. Remember Vi?"

"Yup."

"Well her and Alana and Meg warmed up to him right away, since they didn't really get the gist of what he's done. Harry almost had heart attack, but after awhile everyone got used to it. Except Harry and Ron, they're still kind of pissed at him."

"Well that's good. If you and Dumbledore think he's fine, then I believe you. We should try and get peace wherever we can, since there seems to be a lacking of it."

"Gandhi."

"Shut up."

"It's true."

"I know, but it's a GOOD thing. So shut up." Ashley's nickname had been Gandhi for a long time, I didn't even remember when it had started.

"Oh! Did I ever tell you Ron proposed to Hermione?"

"No! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard, I didn't ever think he'd do it 'cause he was so oblivious for so long." Ron and Hermione's thing for each other was widely known for along time except, of course, by them.

"Yeah, Fred and George never leave him alone about it."

"What about Harry?" Ashley asked, right before the door to the compartment opened.

Ashley's friend Steven and a few of his friends walked in and crowded in the doorway. "Hey, what are you guys doing?"

"Talking." Ashley said bluntly.

"Do you want us to leave you alone?" asked Steven.

"Yeah, but I'll so you later at school!" One of Steven's friend sniggered and Steven elbowed him.

"Okay, see ya, you too Ginny." Steven turned around and shoved his friends through the door and into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

"Anyways what about Harry?"

"What about him?"

"Has he asked Vi yet?"

"How do you know about that? I thought he only told me and Hermione and Ron!"

"Harry accidentally let it slip to some people in the Order, including my parents and I heard them talking about it."

"Oh, you just _happened _to hear? I'm sure." I'd caught Ashley eaves dropping more than once.

"Yes! Well, no but I didn't mean to hear them, they were talking really loud in the living room and I was in the kitchen." She changed the subject. "That's not the point, what about Harry?"

"He hasn't yet; too much has been going on. He wanted to ask her over Christmas because he thought it would be peaceful but you know how that went. It sucks because he will have lost his nerve by now and not do it for along time."

"We should talk to him about that." Ashley put her legs back down on the floor. "I'm starting to get worried about Vanessa and them, I don't see how they could be on the train and not have us find them and it has to be something bad that kept all of them off the train."

"Thank you for that optimistic outlook, I feel better now." I'd forgotten about my other friends for a few minutes while we were talking about Malfoy.

"Hey, can you think of anything else?" She spread her hands apart as if she wanted me to put something in them.

"No, but I say we catch Dumbledore right after dinner and ask him about it. He knows everything." Ashley nodded in agreement and we went on talking about school and I explained the attack on Christmas to her.

"Get him before he goes through the door!" I prodded Ashley in the back to move faster and she broke into a sprint across the Dining Hall, earning several weird looks from people who already thought we were crazy.

"Professor!" Ashley called to him. He stopped and turned on his heel, almost causing Ashley to run into him.

I stopped next to Ashley and we waited for him to speak. "Hello Miss Weasley, Miss Quick. I presume you want to know the whereabouts of your friends Miss Coyle, Kunce and Schaefer." It was weird how he always knew everything, and the odd way he talked but I was excited we were going to find out; Professor Dumbledore rarely held back information. "Follow me to my office, we need to talk where no one can overhear."

Me and Ashley exchanged worried looks, this could mean nothing good.

When we reached his office he pushed the door open and walked in, gesturing for us to sit down on one of the three chairs positioned around his desk. When we were seated he took his own seat, steepled his fingers and looked at each of us in turn, as if judging us.

"What do you most want to do when you get out of school?" I opened my mouth to answer but he held his hand up. "Really think about your answer, think about what you have to do to get there and what you will actually have to do, at least for a good portion of your life because it is so hard to change jobs. Think about the times we live in and the dangers that will inescapably arise from your position."

Both Ashley and myself pretended to think for a few seconds then, at the same time, we both said, "Aurors."

"For the Order?" Dumbledore had shown no emotion, his face was completely passive.

"Of course." Ashley said, and I had to say I agreed with her. Her parents are in the Order too.

"Are you completely sure about this? You still have to go through training to become one although the training is rather different, and it is an extremely dangerous job. I and everyone else will take every precaution we can to ensure the safety of you and others but I will not lie to you: you or ones you love may die."

I knew that, of course. Fighting Death Eaters was obviously a dangerous job, of course you could die. But it had never really hit home to me how real that could be. Me, or Ashley or my other good friends or any one of my brothers or Harry could die in this war. In fact, Harry was the one most likely to die because he had to take on Voldemort face to face whether he liked it or not. My stomach twisted at the though, thinking of all that Vi had already lost. Then I considered the alternative. Not doing anything while I watched my family risk their lives to fight for others. I had made my decision.

I glanced over at Ashley and she seemed to be having the same mental battle going on between the two choices. Her mouth set in a determined line and she nodded her head. "I'm positive."

Her answer had sealed it for me. "Me too, that's what I want to do."

Dumbledore smiled at out decisions but he looked worried. "Very well. In two months time, there will be a sort of training camp set up for future aurors. There has always been Auror training camp for the ministry but this one is specifically for the Order, even though we are now allies with the ministry. A select group of people of various ages will be taken in, only if they're extremely dedicated to being an auror. Trained aurors will be teaching the students, training them in Stealth, Information Extraction, one on one combat, escape methods and other necessary information for an auror. Normally the camp is only for people who are out of school and of age but since Voldemort's hold strengthened in last years battle, the Order and the Ministry have decided that there isn't enough time to wait and that the age line can be moved back a year."

I stared at him. Surely he wasn't planning on taking us out of school, I knew for a fact that I wanted to be an auror but I also wanted to graduate. That was impotant to me.

"You will, of course, graduate with your class at the end of this year."

"So we'll leave school in two months?" Ashley looked like she though she herself was going crazy and this was all fake.

"Precisely. If you choose to do this you will have to work twice as hard as your fellow students at your school work and get it done in that time. You and anyone who chooses to do it will have tutoring set up for the group by teachers and few people from the Order. One thing I must stress is that you must work together with the other people who choose to do it. It will do no good if we feud amongst ourselves."

"You've never answered where Skylar and Shannon and Vanessa are." Ashley said, still looking a little overwhelmed.

"Their parents decided to relocate closer to the camps immediately, and they are now there, although the training hasn't started."

"What about their school work?" I asked.

"They finished, I'm sorry that you were told later, your parents had to be persuaded more than the rest to allow me to give you this option. And remember that is exactly what it is, an option." Dumbledore looked more tired than usual.

"Who else are you offering it to?" I thought about people I knew and I remember vaguely that Draco had said something about being accepted into the Order. "Will Malfoy be going?"

"I am not going to disclose the names of those who I am offering it to so that no one will know who turned it down. And yes, young Mr. Malfoy will be there. I think he's leaving in a few days." Dumbledore stood up. "Have either of you any more questions right now?"

I had a million questions! Where was the camp? Who'd said yes so far? Why didn't Shannon and Skylar and Vanessa tell us about going to the training camp? I didn't want to ask them though.

"No sir." I said and Ashley said the same.

"Well than I dismiss you to your dormitories. You will be contacted about your schedule and tutoring and there will be a meeting next week with all the people that accept." He put his hands on the desk and leaned towards us. "You must not tell _anyone _of this! Voldemort knows that we are trying to recruit more aurors and members of the Order, but he doesn't know about the special camp. If he doesn't find out, we may have a musc larger chance that we did before. Talk about it only at meetings in safe places where you can not be overheard. That is all." He straightened and me and Ashley stood up.

"Thank you sir."

Not looking at eachother, we walked to the door and exited the office, still soaking in the very new, and almost frightening information.

Back in bed, we both wanted to talk about it so bad but we knew we couldn't. After awhile I just fell asleep, even though I was wide awake thinking of nothing but the training camp and how odd it would be to leave school early and how the next time I saw Draco would be much sooner than I thought.

The three empty beds seemed huge, reminding us of our friends that could be anywhere, but were so far away.

When I woke the next morning, Ashley was gone and I didn't see her until our first class.

And that's the end of the chapter! This is an extremely crazy chapter, I didn't plan to do this whole training camp thing at all. It might be a really bad idea, let me know.

The posty thing on the website isn't working so it might have taken along time to get this up. REVIEW


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